Cat Scratch Fever
by Cheshire Pandacat
Summary: Still struggling to sort out how things stand between himself and Mukuro, a combined heat wave/drought of supernatural origins is the last thing Tsuna wants to deal with. Especially when the end result is his having a second cranky demon to deal with. The second installment in the Medicine Shaman Tsuna AU series; sequel to "The Fox Bride." Mukuro/Tsuna/Gokudera, smut.
1. Chapter 1

A/Ns: Hello hello, and welcome to Cat Scratch Fever, the second installment in the Medicine Shaman Tsuna AU series! If you have not already, I highly recommend reading the first installment, The Fox Bride, before you read this one, for the full context and premise. :)

With this we'll be getting our second guardian – and, again, as each guardian will get an installment to themselves, those not yet introduced will not appear in this one. Any other KHR character is fair game. ;D

Warnings: Eventual smut. As with The Fox Bride, if there's something specific to warn for in a chapter, I will do so. :3

Disclaimer: I do not own KHR.

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Cat Scratch Fever

Chapter 1

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Tsuna slumped against the edge of the cart, sweaty and miserable. Even though the rocking and jostling of the cart as their horse pulled it down the road made him motion sick, he still welcomed it because at least it stirred the air.

Mid to late summer was always swelteringly hot, but this was barely July and already the heat was the worst it had ever been in Tsuna's memory. He could've sworn it hadn't been this bad just a few days ago, and they were traveling _north, _that was supposed to be _cooler, _but they must have plunged straight into the middle of a heat wave.

Still, uncomfortable as he was, he was at least dealing with it better than some. Chrome was braced limply against the other side of the cart, head tipped back to rest on the edge, limbs splayed out. She'd been upset when Nana and Tsuna had told her that she couldn't strip down to her hakama the way Tsuna and Mukuro both had, but she hadn't had the energy to keep up a sulk. Mukuro was sitting on the back edge of the cart, elbow resting on the stack of boxes next to him, his knuckles pressed against his cheek to prop his head up, and Tsuna didn't have to see his expression to know he was both annoyed and resentful.

Poor Fuuta had it worst, though. As an ice spirit, this type of heat weakened him, and he was up in the driver's seat next to Nana, lying curled on his side with his head in her lap, too drained to even sit up. _He'd _stripped all the way down to just his fundoshi.

Nana was the only one who didn't seem too bothered by the oppressive temperature. She was sweating, and looked a little dazed, but as always she had a smile on her face and was humming quietly as she drove the cart – though at least _she _had a hat to give her a bit of shade.

"Come on, everyone, cheer up," she called back to them brightly. "It's almost midday, so we'll stop for a break soon, okay? If I'm remembering the area right, there should be a river not too far ahead, now. I think we should be able to make it there!"

Tsuna heaved a sigh of relief, and Chrome lifted her head as if slightly revitalized by the news.

Tsuna slanted a glance towards Mukuro, but the male kitsune hadn't reacted at all; in fact, he turned his head further away from Tsuna, passive aggressively sullen.

Tsuna's shoulders hunched. He'd hoped that, after coming to an agreement on the conditions of Mukuro's acceptance of the blood wedding, things would go back to normal between them. But while Mukuro didn't ignore Tsuna the way he had at first, he hadn't been particularly friendly, either. It felt like there was a distance between them now, which widened whenever Mukuro felt inconvenienced by the indigo subordinate ring he wore. Such as now – if the kitsune had been able to stay in their cool mountain den, they wouldn't be suffering in this heat.

Of course, Tsuna knew his own behavior had pushed Mukuro away too, if not on purpose. The day after the summer solstice festival in Gesso, Mukuro had casually tried to wrap an arm around Tsuna's waist while leaning in to kiss him on the cheek, but because he'd tried where not only Chrome, but also Fuuta and Nana could see, Tsuna had wrenched away and had been too embarrassed to go anywhere near the kitsune for the rest of the day. Which of course Mukuro had found insulting, but Tsuna hadn't had the chance to explain about boundaries and why being physically affectionate in front of _his mother _was just not okay; they hadn't had a moment alone for the past week of travel. After that incident, there had only rarely been a chance to try for privacy, and Mukuro had snubbed Tsuna's attempts to take him aside for a chat.

As far as Tsuna could tell, Nana had no idea that there had been anything physical between him and Mukuro, and that's the way he wanted to keep it. He felt awkward enough about his budding sexuality without his mother being aware of every single embarrassing detail.

Maybe when they reached the river there would be another chance, though. Tsuna would love to rinse off some of this sweat, and he didn't doubt the always-vain kitsune would, too. If he used that as an excuse to get them downriver and out of earshot…

Except when they reached where the road curved to begin following the river fifteen minutes later, they found it almost completely dry, only the thinnest trickle of water sluggishly inching over the riverbed.

The corners of Nana's smile turned down, and she looked worried and pensive for a moment before she forced them up again. "Well, let's take a break anyway," she said with forced cheer. "We can have lunch."

Fuuta drank a little water but otherwise just rolled over and stayed where he was. Nana fed and watered the horse while Tsuna and the kitsune sat in what shade the cart provided to eat, and didn't need to be told to ration their water as much as possible. They had enough to last them another day or two, but Tsuna knew his mother had been counting on refilling their waterskins at this river.

"The road branches a little ways ahead," Nana told them as she joined the three adolescents on the ground. "We can swing through Kyofu Village. I've never been there, but I think it's only a day or so out of the way, and the next village is another week's travel down the road, so we need to replenish our supplies before that."

By which she meant their water, Tsuna knew. They had enough food to last another week, or a little more than.

Mukuro and Chrome glanced at each other.

"By any chance, does the road branch that way?" Chrome asked, pointing across the river.

Nana blinked. "That's right. Don't worry, though, there's a bridge, we won't have to take the cart over the riverbed."

"Um, it's not that," Chrome mumbled, looking uncomfortable. "It's just, um… starting on the other side of the river is a demon's territory. Big brother and I can, um, smell the boundary. Most demons don't mind medicine shamans and spirits passing through, but… they don't really like… other demons crossing their borders without asking. And the boundary hasn't been marked for at least a week, so they might not be in this part of their territory right now, and if they're not here, we can't ask."

"Mmm, that's true," Nana said, looking over at the other side of the dry river. "But if they're not in the area, I don't think there's much we can do. We'll make an offering once we reach Kyofu, and hopefully that will make up for the breach of etiquette."

"If not, I'll take care of it," Mukuro said, fingers flexing aggressively.

Nana looked at him reproachfully. "I would appreciate it if you didn't pick a fight, Mukuro-kun, or resort to violence at all unless it's absolutely necessary."

Mukuro's smile didn't reach his eyes. "Well, never fear, I'm sure Tsunayoshi will yank my leash if I do anything you _don't appreciate._"

Tsuna stiffened and shot Mukuro a hurt look, but the kitsune turned his nose up and ignored him.

Nana looked questioningly at Tsuna, but he just shrugged and avoided her eyes. He wanted to work things out between himself and Mukuro on his own, without always needing his mother to hold his hand through everything. Besides, he was too stressed about the very strong possibility of getting an anecdote about his what father would do if he asked Nana for advice to try.

Their lunch ended on a slightly awkward note, and they were all silent as they climbed back into the cart and continued down the road. An hour or so later, the road branched, the less-traveled path continuing over a bridge to the other side of the river. Both Mukuro and Chrome tensed up when Nana urged the horse to take them over the bridge, and remained on high alert as they continued down the road.

Just after nightfall, they reached Kyofu Village, which was also when Tsuna finally picked up the scent of magic himself. It was a small village, and one that practically screamed of hardship. The ground beneath their feet was parched and cracked, the houses seemed to be sagging in the heat, and what villagers they saw looked hot, tired, and none too happy to see visitors.

"Aye, well, we can put you up for the night if you want, Sawada-dono," the innkeeper said in a heavy voice when they finally found the inn. "But you might see better fare at the shrine. Tough as times are, the shrine still gets our best in tithes, and they've always been welcoming of medicine shamans, rare as it is that one passes through."

"Thank you for the advice, I think I will check in there," Nana said. "If you could just tell me where it is?"

"Big complex at the foot of Mount Arashi," the innkeeper said, pointing. "Road leads right to it, you can't miss it. It's only 'bout another hour down the way. No brigands or suchlike around here, so it's safe enough after dark."

So it was that they continued down the road another hour, which was slightly more tolerable now that the sun had gone down, if still too hot and dry for Tsuna's liking.

Mount Arashi was more a collection of rocky cliffs dotted with the occasional tree than a proper mountain, but there was indeed a sprawling shrine at the base of it – to nekomata, if the statues flanking the torii were any indication.

Tsuna felt a nervous fluttering of foreboding in his stomach. Cat demons had a reputation for being on the temperamental side, and for not getting along well at all even amongst each other, let alone with other species of demons.

"Good evening!" Nana called out cheerfully as she pulled the cart right up to the front of the shrine. "Is the shrine maiden in? I'm a traveling medicine shaman with children looking for a place to stay for the night, and the innkeeper recommended me to check in here."

"I'm sure he did," a sultry woman's voice replied, sounding amused. The front door to the shrine slid open, and Tsuna was surprised at how young the priestess looked – she couldn't be more than eighteen at most, with long reddish hair and gray-green eyes.

"The villagers have grown stingy with their resources since this drought started," the shrine maiden went on, "but I'm always happy to share what I have with medicine shamans. If you're willing to do me a favor, I'll trade you some goods before you go, too. I'm sure you're short on water."

"That's right," Nana said. "I won't deny we're in sore need of water, but may I ask what sort of favor you need, Lady…?"

"Bianchi," the shrine maiden supplied. "And just Bianchi is fine, no need for titles. We can discuss what I need in the morning; it's late, and you all look exhausted. I'll show you where you can settle your horse, and then you're welcome to come in, ah…?"

"Sawada Nana," Nana said. "This is my son and apprentice, Tsunayoshi, and my wards Fuuta, Chrome, and Mukuro."

Chrome and Mukuro both shot her startled looks at the label, but were either too tired or didn't care enough to protest.

Bianchi dipped her head in acknowledgement, then helped them get the horse unhooked from the cart and put away in a small stable behind the shrine, which had only one other tired old plow horse in residence, though one of the other stalls showed signs of having been occupied recently.

Tsuna felt excitement surge when he noticed that part of the shrine detached into a bathhouse on a small hot spring. After dinner, which was plain but filling, Nana and Bianchi even said that the boys could use it first, since they were going to clean up from dinner and, as adults, could stay up later anyway.

Chrome probably wouldn't have been pleased about having to wait, but she was half-falling asleep during dinner, so she was too tired to stay awake through a bath. Fuuta had barely been able to make himself eat before collapsing from exhaustion.

So it was that Mukuro and Tsuna had the bath to themselves, scrubbing off the sweat and dirt of travel before slipping into the steaming spring. Tsuna sighed as the water enveloped him to his neck, and Mukuro let out a soft groan of appreciation.

After a minute of just sitting blissfully in the water, letting it soak the aches of travel away, Tsuna realized this was his chance to talk to Mukuro alone.

Biting his lower lip, he scooted over inch by inch, darting uncertain looks at Mukuro for any sign that the kitsune would try to move. Mukuro cracked an eye open to watch him approach, but didn't so much as shift position. Tsuna stopped when there was just a hand's width between the two of them.

"Um, Mukuro?"

"What?"

Tsuna restrained a flinch at the brusque tone. "Oh, um… I… I wanted to apologize, for, uh. Pulling away from you kind of rudely."

"That was a week ago," Mukuro pointed out, tone chilly. "Why wait so long?"

"Because I didn't want to talk about it in front of Mom," Tsuna mumbled, shoulders hunching. "Look, I… know it's not like this for kitsune, but… being touched and stuff, and, um, talking about… about sex or stuff like that in front of her is… really awkward and embarrassing for me. For humans, generally, um, kids my age… don't want to talk to their parents about that part of their lives. Especially not their parent of the opposite gender. Because, um, because… Mom would be _nosy, _and she'd… she'd tease me, and it would just. Be really embarrassing, and, um, uncomfortable. For her to just _know _I was doing stuff with you, would make it… stressful. So… that's why… I didn't want you touching me in front of her, and I couldn't apologize about pulling away from you in front of her."

Tsuna ticked his eyes over at Mukuro to try and gauge the kitsune's reaction. Mukuro had arched an eyebrow and looked dubious, but when Tsuna finished speaking, he sighed.

"Human customs are ridiculous," he scoffed. "And I think you may be more easily embarrassed and sensitive to criticism than most. But very well, I understand that you meant no offense. May I touch you now?"

"Oh, um, s-sure."

Tsuna squeaked as Mukuro practically grabbed him and pulled him into his lap, arms a vice around him and his nose burrowing into Tsuna's hair. Slowly wrapping one arm around Mukuro's back while the other stroked his hair, Tsuna couldn't help but notice that Mukuro's chest was heaving, like he hadn't been able to breathe very well and he'd finally managed to get some air.

"Are you okay?" Tsuna asked him, concerned.

Mukuro's panting turned into a half-growling, bitter laugh. "I liked how that linking spell you performed for our date in Gesso made your scent more appealing, made touching you more satisfying, but I hate how this damn ring makes me _need _you. Can we rut?"

"No," Tsuna said firmly, face flushed as he tried to ignore Mukuro's erection. "We can't have sex in a hot spring that people share, and there isn't anywhere else private. And even if there was I don't think we'd be able to keep Mom from finding out about it."

Mukuro let out a dissatisfied growl and bit Tsuna's shoulder. Not hard enough to puncture or bruise, so Tsuna just grimaced and forced himself not to squirm with discomfort as Mukuro's tongue flicked against his skin. There was only so much even guilt could push him to endure when he was uncomfortable, though, so after a minute he pushed at Mukuro's shoulders until the kitsune released him, then hastily got off his lap and put a few feet between them.

Mukuro gave him a cold look, then stood and got out of the bath. Tsuna averted his eyes, and waited until he heard Mukuro go back into the shrine proper before he got out of the water himself.

He put on a light summer yukata and slipped his feet into a pair of sandals. Once Nana and Bianchi got in the bath, Tsuna would effectively be alone with Mukuro again, and he wasn't sure he'd be able to deal with the awkward silence that was bound to result. So he stuck his head into the kitchen area where his mother and Bianchi were just finishing the clean-up, and said, "Would it be alright if I went for a walk?"

"Don't stay out too late," Nana said absently.

"And don't go too far," Bianchi added with a sharp look at him. "Stay within sight of the shrine, and don't go up the mountain."

"Um, okay," Tsuna said. "I'll… be back soon, then."

He wandered off the shrine grounds, wondering what he should do about Mukuro. Maybe if he gave the kitsune a little bit more space and time, he'd stop hating the effects of the blood wedding so much, or at least not hate Tsuna so much for them.

Tsuna wasn't sure if sitting back and doing nothing was the right choice, though. He was struggling with how he felt about the blood wedding, too. On the one hand, if he hadn't performed it, Mukuro would be dead. On the other hand… he'd essentially half-enslaved the kitsune without asking for consent, and the spell couldn't be broken or reversed. He couldn't blame Mukuro for being angry, and he felt guilty not just for how much Mukuro hated the subordinate ring, but for how he wanted Mukuro to stop making him feel bad about it. Feeling bad about what had happened was the least Tsuna could do, especially if the toll on Mukuro was steeper than they'd first been aware of. Mukuro _needed _to touch him?

But they'd made an agreement that at least tried to even out the power imbalance, and since the spell was _permanent, _Tsuna really wanted them to be able to get along with each other again. Just because he could theoretically take advantage of Mukuro didn't mean he was _going _to; he had no intentions whatsoever of using his power over Mukuro at all if he could help it.

Should he just give both of them more time to adjust to the arrangement, to get the measure of what they would and wouldn't do under the spell's influence? Should he push to talk to Mukuro more, air out their feelings, try and actively make things right between them?

Tsuna was so deep in thought and worry that he didn't even realize his feet were taking him up a mountain path until he heard a feline snarl.

Tsuna froze, and nervously ticked his eyes up.

Standing above him on an outcropping of rock was a nekomata. The cat demons varied widely in body type and appearance; this one had a lynx-like build, a silvery coat, the two long tails that marked it for what it was, and pale green eyes burning with fury. Its shoulders were maybe about chest-level on Tsuna, he thought, which put it at just shy of half-grown. Smaller than Mukuro's fox form, sure, but still _really big._

"Um," Tsuna whispered weakly, "um… I'm… I'm very sorry for trespassing – I d-didn't mean to, I w-wasn't looking where I was, um, where I was going, I – I'll – I'll just go back to the shrine and – "

The nekomata snarled again, and launched itself at him, claws and fangs bared.

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A/Ns: Writing about a summer heat wave/drought is really weird when there's over a foot of snow outside.

As I mentioned in the end notes for the final chapter of The Fox Bride, I am going to aim to update this fic weekly (update day is Mondays). I generally write a chapter to what feels like a good stopping point to me, but I'd like to have Cat Scratch Fever's updates be a little more substantial than The Fox Bride's were (which this one is, if not by as much as I'd like). Chapters at ~4-5k each would be nice, but idk we'll see.


	2. Chapter 2

A/Ns: _Nyoom!_ (that's the sound of my pacing whoops loooool)

Warnings: Very mild gore? I describe a rather unpleasant injury, but not in any graphic detail I don't think?

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Cat Scratch Fever

Chapter 2

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With a demon that had to weigh more than twice as much as he did launching itself at him to attack, Tsuna's mind went blank and he let instinct take over. And for some insane reason, instinct had him dropping down onto his back and tipping his head back to leave his stomach and throat exposed, arms flat out and palms pressed to the ground.

The nekomata's paws landed on either side of his head, claws digging deep into gravel, and it shoved its face right into Tsuna's so he could see the elongated fangs in _way _too much detail. Saliva spattered on his face as it roared at him, but it didn't scratch or bite.

In fact, as it seemed to sink in that Tsuna was leaving himself completely physically vulnerable, the nekomata's snarl slowly fell away and it drew its head up, ears no longer flat back against its skull, rumbling suspiciously.

With the demon so close, Tsuna noticed the fur around its shoulders was the russet brown of dried blood.

"I-if, um, if I may ask," he rasped, "are… are you injured? I'm a medicine shaman," he went on hastily when the nekomata hissed, "s-so… I… I'll… help you, if… if you want me to… Or, um… if… there's anything else you n-need…"

The nekomata's ears flattened back again, and it snapped its jaws in Tsuna's face warningly.

"_Go away,_" it – he, the voice was masculine – growled, then turned and leapt back up the cliff face. The demon shot one last vicious glare at Tsuna before he vanished from sight. Because Tsuna was trying to look for an injury, he thought he saw something stuck between the nekomata's shoulder blades.

Heart racing, panting at how close a brush with death he'd just had, Tsuna took a few minutes to get to his feet. Once he had, he bowed deeply and managed to get out, "Thank you very much for your kindness in sparing my life," before he turned and hurried back to the shrine as quickly as he could.

Tsuna was still shaking when he arrived back at the shrine and made his way to the guest room he, Mukuro, and Fuuta were sharing. Fuuta was asleep, and Mukuro had out a book and was idly flipping through it while reclining on his futon. The kitsune's head shot up when Tsuna stepped into the room, and then he surged to his feet. Tsuna almost yelped when Mukuro grabbed him and sniffed all around his shoulders, neck, and hair.

"Why is there another demon's scent on you?" he demanded, bristling and sounding much more territorial and aggressive than Tsuna would have liked.

"I, um, I went for a walk, and, um… well, I ended up a few minutes up Mount Arashi's footpath, and there was a young nekomata there who, well, um…" Having a fair idea of how Mukuro would react to the next bit of information, Tsuna rushed it out as quickly as he could, "He pinned me and almost attacked me but – _no no no,_" he squawked with horror when Mukuro whirled and looked like he was about to run out and hunt the other demon down,"Mukuro, he let me go, I was trespassing on his mountain, please don't – "

Mukuro grudgingly turned back towards him, eyes narrowed. "You're _mine,_" he snapped, gripping Tsuna's chin, "and I will not suffer another to touch you without my permission."

"He technically didn't touch me?" Tsuna offered weakly.

Mukuro mulled that over for a minute. He leaned in to sniff Tsuna again, before he finally let go and stepped back, eyes still flashing but calmer than he had been.

"I'll let it pass this once," Mukuro allowed stiffly, "but don't walk around another demon's territory alone again, Tsunayoshi. Have either myself or Chrome with you at all times."

"O-okay," Tsuna agreed. He wasn't sure whether to be relieved or exasperated that, apparently, Mukuro disliking the blood wedding and currently being unhappy with Tsuna didn't mean he wouldn't defend the claim it gave him to his shaman.

Still shaky and frightened, Tsuna tentatively gripped the sleeve of Mukuro's yukata, too uncertain of their relationship to verbally ask for comfort. Mukuro tilted his head, looked Tsuna up and down, then took Tsuna's hand and had them both sit down on Mukuro's futon.

"I'd groom you properly, as that always makes _me _feel better, but I don't think this room can accommodate my true form very well, and I'd prefer not to be covered in fur in this heat," he sighed, fishing a hair brush out of their belongings. "So I'll do the next best thing."

Personally, Tsuna was glad about Mukuro having to settle for his second choice – he'd much rather have his hair brushed than licked. And sure enough, before long, the gentle strokes through his hair soothed and calmed him until he leaned back against Mukuro and drifted off to sleep.

Tsuna woke with a gasp the next morning to fingers trailing over his hip and the inside of his thigh, stirring more life into his morning wood. Despite how early it was, the heat was already uncomfortable, and being pressed so close to another body made it hard to breathe.

The light touch brushed against the base of his erection. Tsuna frantically shoved Mukuro's hand away, leapt to his feet, and rushed into the bathroom, leaving a bemused and cranky kitsune behind.

"Your mother wasn't there and Fuuta was sleeping too deeply to notice," Mukuro grumbled as they dressed and made their way to breakfast a short while later. "I wasn't asking you for anything, I could have just – "

"Not in the same room with someone else," Tsuna hissed back. "I don't care how deeply Fuuta was asleep! And _I _was asleep, too, you didn't even _ask _– "

Mukuro shot him a flat look, and Tsuna grimaced.

"That's different," he mumbled, because it _was, _and Mukuro acting like the circumstances were similar was unfair. "You – "

Mukuro turned away and lengthened his steps, putting Tsuna behind him, clearly uninterested in admitting Tsuna was right. Tsuna resisted the urge to bury his face in his hands.

When they'd all sat down for breakfast – with the exception of Fuuta, who was still sleeping – Nana turned to Bianchi and asked, "So, what is it that you need help with?"

Bianchi stared at the table for a minute, a distant expression on her face. At last, she said, "I take it you've noticed that this area is part of a demon's territory?" When Nana nodded, Bianchi went on, "That demon is my father. Up until a month or so ago, my father, his mate, and their son, my half-brother, all lived up on Mount Arashi, while my mother and I tended the shrine. Then my father's mate became ill. We put out a posting for a medicine shaman, but before one could arrive, she unfortunately passed away. My brother… didn't take it well. This heat wave is probably his doing, since it began almost immediately after his dam's death. Then a shaman did show up, a few days ago, but it was a Demon Hunter and his guardians."

Tsuna twitched, and tried not to look at his mother, who had gone still. There were probably dozens of Demon Hunters with guardians in the country, but…

"He could tell that the heat wave was unnatural, and attacked my father and brother. My father drew them off – they're probably on the other side of his territory by now – but I think my brother was injured. He doesn't like me, though, and hasn't come down from the mountain. I was hoping you might be able to convince him to at least let you treat him. Maybe even get him to let up this heat wave, before the villagers start to suspect him."

"I see," Nana said. "Well, I'm certainly glad to try. May I ask, though – what about the drought? Just a heat wave wouldn't cause the river to dry up like it has."

Bianchi's expression turned thunderous. "I think it was caused by one of that Demon Hunter's guardians. To make fleeing and survival more difficult, for my father and Hayato both. My brother," she supplied. "Their clan surname is Gokudera, and they prefer to be addressed that way; strangers using their given names is too informal."

Nana nodded again. "Alright. After breakfast, we can go up the mountain and see if we can find Gokudera-kun."

"Thank you," Bianchi said. "I wish I could go with you, but you're more likely to be successful if I remain here. Hayato probably won't come out if I'm there." She smiled ruefully, but there was sadness in it, too, Tsuna thought.

"If you don't mind my asking, why don't you two get along?" Nana asked. Bianchi sighed.

"Well, Hayato was very close to his dam, and I think he took offense to his father siring a human child when he already had a demon mate. He's been at odds with our father for my entire life, anyway, and on the rare occasion he did come out around my mother or I, he made it plain he didn't like us."

"And where is your mother now?"

"She went to file a complaint against the Demon Hunter with our district lord," Bianchi replied. "For antagonizing demons tended by a shrine unnecessarily, and for letting one of his guardians cause this draught. The district lord's in Iba, which is where I think my father is trying to lead the Demon Hunter, so hopefully they'll run right into some discipline."

Nana looked approving. "I see. That's good. I don't suppose you know the name of the Demon Hunter?"

"No," Bianchi said sourly. "He didn't bother to introduce himself. He was a tall young man, probably only a few years older than me at most, with black hair, red eyes, and scars on his face."

Tsuna relaxed. Not his father, or anyone else he'd ever heard of. He hadn't thought his father would do something like this, but still. That was a relief.

After breakfast, Tsuna and Nana both packed up their medicine boxes and started up the mountain with Mukuro and Chrome – Bianchi agreed to keep an eye on Fuuta while they were gone, since the poor ice spirit still wasn't feeling well.

Tsuna expected for them to be jumped almost immediately, the way he had been last night, but the hours stretched by and there was no sign of Gokudera. Eventually, they reached a fork in the path.

"Which way should we go?" Tsuna asked, looking left and right and trying to get a sense of if either direction had a stronger scent of magic than the other.

"Why not both ways?" Nana chirped back, beaming. "Chome-chan and I will go left, and Tsu-kun and Mukuro-kun could go right?"

Tsuna glanced at Mukuro to see what he thought about that. When Mukuro caught Tsuna looking to him for approval, the kitsune relaxed and even smiled.

"That sounds fine to me," he said. "Let's go, Tsunayoshi."

Tsuna brightened. "Alright!" He shot Chrome a quick look that he hoped communicated, _Take care of Mom. _She smiled and nodded, so Tsuna gave her a grin of thanks and trotted after Mukuro, who'd already started walking.

Once they'd made enough progress to be completely out of sight and earshot of Nana and Chrome, Tsuna shyly hooked his fingers in Mukuro's. Mukuro glanced at him and smiled again, wove their fingers together, and even gave him a brief nuzzle.

"So what does this Gokudera Hayato look like?" Mukuro asked after a while, scenting the air.

"Um, kind of like a lynx, I think? With a silver coat and green eyes. Shoulder height about here in demon form," Tsuna said, holding his hand just below his own shoulders. He then admitted, "He told me last night to go away. He probably won't be very happy about me being here again, even if I tell him we're here to help."

Mukuro shrugged. "Well, if he's injured and too stupid to accept help, it's his own fault if he dies. And if he takes offense at our presence, he'll have me to deal with. I can take a wounded half-grown kitten without even breaking a sweat," he finished haughtily.

"Say that again, you bastard," an indignant voice snarled from above them.

They both looked up, and standing on an outcropping that jutted out from the cliff side just ahead was the nekomata, bristling and eyes flashing with temper.

Mukuro yanked off the yukata he wore and kicked off his sandals. "Very well. I said a half-grown kitten stupidly enduring an injury when he doesn't have to is no match for me," the kitsune purred as he shifted into his fox form, six tails flaring wide. "Unless you think you can prove me wrong?"

"_Mukuro,_" Tsuna hissed at him, mortified. "Don't – "

But Gokudera had roared angrily at Mukuro's insults and leapt forward, and Mukuro ignored Tsuna in favor of charging towards the other demon.

Tsuna scrambled after them. The adolescent demons hadn't had much chance to do more than circle and snap at one another before Tsuna threw himself between them, arms outstretched to make himself as much of an obstacle as he could – with his back to Gokudera so he could glower at Mukuro.

The kitsune halted and drew up, ruff flaring in offense at the insult it was; by giving the nekomata his back, Tsuna was essentially saying he trusted Gokudera to stop more than he did Mukuro. But they _were _trespassing on Gokudera's land, and Mukuro had even insulted him. Mukuro was a lot bigger than Gokudera, too, since kitsune in general were larger than nekomata; Mukuro's demon form was slightly taller than a horse, after all, so it hardly seemed fair for him to be picking on someone half his size. Being the first to offer vulnerability and trust was the least they could do, in Tsuna's opinion, and he didn't care how much that insulted Mukuro.

Besides, just like last night, for some reason he didn't fear Gokudera hurting him while he was vulnerable. His intuition told him that this wasn't a demon who'd attack a powerless person that hadn't directly provoked him.

Tsuna felt the nekomata's breath on his back as he rumbled warily, and then sniffed around the medicine box.

"You're really here to help me?" Gokudera asked suspiciously, and Tsuna risked turning around to face him. Gokudera had edged away, eyes darting from Tsuna to Mukuro and back again. "Why?"

"Your human sister asked us to," Mukuro said primly, one of his tails gathering up his discarded clothes. Gokudera's ears went back and he hissed.

"Even if that wasn't the case, I'd want to help anyway," Tsuna put in hastily, shooting another glare in Mukuro's direction. He wished he'd gotten paired up with Chrome instead. "She didn't ask us until this morning, and I offered to help you yesterday, remember? It's just… the right thing to do, so… please, Gokudera-kun, let me help? You're in pain, right? I saw something between your shoulders, and you can't reach it yourself, can you? At least let me take it out. I'm Sawada Tsunayoshi, by the way," he added belatedly. "And this is – "

He paused awkwardly when he realized he didn't know Mukuro's surname.

"Rokudo Mukuro," the kitsune picked up smoothly, though his tone was a bit cold.

Gokudera remained tense and ready to attack for a few more minutes as he eyed them both narrowly. Finally, though, he dipped his head in a stiff nod.

"Thank you," Tsuna said, trying to give the nekomata his most reassuring smile. "Is there a good place where I can treat you? I'll need water to clean the wound."

Gokudera growled, but grudgingly led them further up the mountain. Half an hour of uncomfortable silence later, they reached another fork, one bend continuing upwards while the other led around some rocks over relatively flat ground, to…

"More hot springs," Tsuna saw, startled but glad. Hot water would be great to clean Gokudera's wound with, and even if there had been another source of water, he wasn't sure if it would have been a good idea to ask either demon to use magic to heat it up. Gokudera might take Mukuro using magic as a threat, and Mukuro would definitely take Tsuna asking Gokudera to use magic as an insult.

Gokudera waited for Tsuna to approach, then put his body between Tsuna and Mukuro, lying down with his back to Tsuna so he could still keep an eye on Mukuro.

Mukuro's ears went back and he snarled, subsiding only when Tsuna gave him a quelling look. It was Mukuro's own fault that Gokudera was so hostile towards him, after all. Insulting and attacking him like that! He could have made this whole mess so much worse.

Tsuna knelt down behind Gokudera and swung off his medicine box, pulling out a few basic supplies before he examined the injury.

There was a short curve-backed knife buried in Gokudera's back – short enough that it wouldn't have hit anything vital, but the blade was serrated with large, wide-set teeth so it wouldn't come out easily, and placed with expert precision where Gokudera wouldn't be able to get it out by himself. Plus, given that it had pierced a thick knot of muscle, it had to be causing Gokudera pain every time he moved.

"Some Demon Hunters are so horrible," Tsuna said under his breath, angry on Gokudera's behalf. He took a clean rag and soaked it in one of the hot springs so he could start cleaning the area around the knife in preparation to extract it.

"Wasn't the Demon Hunter," Gokudera said, bristling. "One of his guardians – a nekomata! – chucked that at me from behind instead of challenging me face to face." The amount of insulted fury in Gokudera's voice and the way his two tails lashed made Tsuna flinch and Mukuro's eyes narrow, but he didn't seem about to take his feelings out on them, at least.

Gokudera tensed when Tsuna began to gently wipe the fur around the knife, cleaning away dried blood as he tried to get a better idea of how to take out a serrated knife without doing too much extra damage.

"It's not deep, but it's pretty well stuck," Tsuna said quietly. "Taking it out will probably hurt a lot. Do you think you can hold still?"

Gokudera's ears went back, claws biting deep into stone.

"I can hold you down, if you want," Mukuro offered too cheerfully, and Gokudera snarled at him.

"I can hold still," Gokudera bit out.

"Okay," Tsuna said. "Try to relax your muscles as much as you can, too. If you're tense, it'll be harder to get it out."

"…Fine."

Extracting the knife was an arduous process – Tsuna had to wriggle and sometimes even twist it, to get the edges unstuck from Gokudera's flesh, and despite the nekomata's assurances, he alternated between tensing up and squirming, emitting pained, angry growls every time Tsuna moved the knife.

Finally, though, it was out, and Tsuna dropped it and quickly began cleaning the wound and trying to staunch the bleeding. He grimaced as he did so, brow furrowing – it hadn't been immediately obvious with the knife to focus on, but now that it was out, it was clear that the wound had become infected.

Without quite thinking about it, Tsuna used one hand to stroke Gokudera's fur soothingly as the other used a new rag soaked in hot water to clean the pus and blood spurting out as best he could. Once he'd made some progress, Gokudera's growls started to subside, allowing Tsuna to finally pick up on Mukuro's.

Tsuna sighed, but he couldn't give the kitsune his attention right now. He took out a disinfectant cream, and began rubbing it into the injury, still petting Gokudera's back comfortingly because he knew it would –

"That stings!" Gokudera snapped, craning his head around to try and see what Tsuna was doing.

"I know, I'm sorry," Tsuna said. "But the injury's infected and this is the best way to treat it."

"Unless you want to be bound into Tsunayoshi's service for life," Mukuro put in snidely.

Tsuna gave him an exasperated look, but Gokudera's ears swiveled with confusion.

"What do you mean?" the nekomata asked.

"There's a burst of magic when a shaman performs a blood wedding, and I guess it boosts the guardian's regenerative ability temporarily," Tsuna said quickly before Mukuro could say anything. "Something that drastic isn't necessary, though. This injury should heal fine, so long as the infection's treated twice a day – "

He had more to say, but Gokudera had been only half-listening; the nekomata had apparently just noticed the indigo ring on Mukuro's right paw, and his ears perked with interest.

"You have blood wedding rings? But where are your other guardians? Blood wedding rings usually come in sets of seven, don't they? That Demon Hunter who came after me and the old man had six guardians."

"Um, I… it's only me and Mukuro," Tsuna said, uncomfortable.

Gokudera looked from Mukuro to Tsuna, a hostile look for the former and a curious, thoughtful one for the latter. "Hey, can I ask you something? You didn't give him any orders when we fought, you just… threw yourself between us. How did you know I wouldn't attack you? You gave me your back, not your guardian."

"Oh, um, well… Mukuro was rude to you first, so it was the least I could do, and, well… I could just tell you weren't the type of person who'd attack someone defenseless from behind," Tsuna admitted, shrugging awkwardly. "You didn't hurt me last night, either."

"You didn't know I wouldn't, but you left yourself defenseless then, too. How come?" Gokudera pressed.

"…Instinct?" Tsuna offered weakly.

Gokudera lapsed into silence. When Tsuna finished treating his injury, and began to put his supplies away, Gokudera abruptly shifted into human form, and so all of a sudden Tsuna had a handsome, _naked_ teenage boy kneeling in front of him, who then turned to face him and seized Tsuna's hands.

Tsuna squawked, startled, and Mukuro's ruff bristled again as he snarled. Gokudera ignored the kitsune behind him, pale green eyes intent on Tsuna.

"Make me your guardian, too, Sawada!" Gokudera said.

Tsuna gaped at him. "_What?_"

"If I have a shaman backing me, I'll have the strength to fight against the bastard that injured me! And then I can leave this place! I don't want to stay here, not without…" Gokudera grit his teeth, expression pained, before he pressed on with more fervor, "But I could help protect you! You're not the same type of guy as that damn Demon Hunter, you're someone I could follow! And I'd be a better guardian than that fox, too, I'll show you!"

Mukuro had become a giant bristling ball of affronted outrage, fur puffed out and tails spread wide and trembling with agitation, but Tsuna couldn't spare him any reassurance, not with Gokudera so determined to maintain eye contact.

Tsuna took a deep breath, and said, "Gokudera-kun, I'm really flattered – no, honored, that you'd want to do that for me. But I think you have the wrong idea. I'm not going to go and, and… pick a fight with that other Demon Hunter and his guardians, or anyone else for that matter. My Mom and I are traveling _medicine _shamans, we go around _healing _people, not hurting them. And… and blood weddings aren't something to decide on so lightly. After all, you'd be… giving me a lot of power over you, you know? And for a really long time, too. I mean, not that I'd ever want to force anyone to do anything, but – I only made Mukuro my guardian to save his life, so I'm not really looking for – "

"Yeah, you're right, blood weddings shouldn't be performed lightly," Gokudera said, and Tsuna thought for a relieved moment that he'd understood, but then he went on, "How can I prove myself worthy to you?"

"P-prove yourself…?! N-no, I mean, wouldn't _I _have to prove myself to _you_ – "

"You already have," Gokudera told him, eyes bright. "I'd never met or heard of a human like you before, Sawada. My parents always talked about how honorable and polite good medicine shamans are, but they never mentioned them being anything like _you._ You trusted me with your life _twice _when you didn't even know me, when for all you knew I was going to attack you, and you healed me, you offered to help me even before you knew Sis wanted you to, and if you saved that bastard kitsune even though I bet he's a complete asshole and it meant being stuck with him forever – "

"_Enough,_" Mukuro said in a steely voice. "You are _not_ becoming Tsunayoshi's guardian. As if he would take on a stupid half-grown kitten who has so little dignity that he'd beg for a leash from someone he'd just _met – _"

Gokudera was on his feet and whirling to face the kitsune with impressive speed, given his injury, blood still trickling down his back. He did wobble briefly in the process. He bared his teeth – though that was less impressive in human form – and snapped, "This is between me and Sawada! You don't get a say in it at all, you damn fox! Besides, you can't be much older than me, where do you get off calling me half-grown – "

"Well, I'm bigger – "

"Stop it, both of you!" Tsuna admonished, standing up and putting himself between kitsune and nekomata for the second time. "Mukuro, if you can't be polite, then you should leave. I obviously don't need you to protect me from Gokudera-kun, he's not going to hurt me."

Mukuro's lips curled back, tails lashing as he snarled again. Gokudera looked smug until Tsuna turned to him and went on, "Gokudera-kun, blood weddings really _shouldn't _be rushed into, and while I'm sure you'd, um, make a great guardian, I don't want someone around who'd be constantly fighting with Mukuro. If he's unhappy, I'm unhappy."

Mukuro's snarling cut off.

Gokudera sobered. "Fine. I won't fight with him. I'm serious, though, Sawada. Please, won't you consider it?"

Tsuna looked away, wanting to ignore what his intuition was telling him. "…I need time to think, and I want to hear more about why you're so sure this is what you want. And I'd need to see you prove that you can get along with Mukuro. I'm not doing anything that would make him unhappy. Your injury needs to be treated for infection twice a day anyway; why don't you come back down to the shrine with us? We can talk about this more later."

Gokudera scowled, but gave a reluctant nod. "Alright. I'll definitely prove my worth as a guardian to you, though, Sawada!" he added fiercely. "I swear I will!"

Mukuro hissed.

"Uh… huh." Tsuna sighed. Great. Just great.

Why him?

* * *

End A/Ns: Yes, that other Demon Hunter and his guardians are probably exactly who you think they are. ;D

Gokudera could shift into human form while injured because despite being infected, it's not _too _severe by demon standards, and it's relatively small. Very large/severe injuries (or injuries that have been treated with stitches, since you don't want those stitches moving) prevent demons from shapeshifting.

Gokudera's turn-around where Tsuna's concerned may seem abrupt, but remember that the same exact thing happened in the KHR series proper. ;P And he does have more reasons for being so keen on becoming a guardian. Which you will read about next time. 8D

"_Well, I'm bigger" _was not in this until like the very final draft and boy am I glad I decided to do weekly updates instead of putting them up as I finished them because that A+ line would not have been there otherwise I would like to thank Mukuro for being petty and shallow as fuck

Chapter 3 is already written so I have at least that much of a buffer lol. (Remember, I plan to update weekly on Mondays!) Maybe about a third to halfway through chapter 4, too. No need to worry about me slacking off (yet), guys. ;D


	3. Chapter 3

A/Ns: We'll be getting a POV other than Tsuna's for the first time in this chapter. ;D (Tsuna will always be the primary POV of the series, but by necessity there will be scenes from other POVs as well.)

Hey guys just to let you know tumblr user ombresinistre drew some GORGEOUS fanart for CSF, which I have linked in my profile, you should totally check it out!

Warnings: Smut. (Of the 6959 variety.) (yes it makes sense in context trust me ok? ;D)

* * *

Cat Scratch Fever

Chapter 3

* * *

Since Gokudera shifting into human form had also half-undone the treatment, Tsuna had to clean and disinfect the wound again, and finished by taping a large bandage over the injury and warning the nekomata that he shouldn't shift again if he didn't want to make it worse.

Gokudera fortunately happened to have some human clothes stashed nearby – the hot springs were apparently a favorite hang-out spot of his – and he got dressed while Tsuna coaxed Mukuro back into human form.

Tsuna didn't have the time to say any reassurances, since Gokudera hurried back to join them even as Mukuro was finishing getting dressed, but he did take Mukuro's hand and gave it a hopeful, apologetic squeeze. Mukuro huffed, but accepted the gesture.

On the walk back down Mount Arashi, Tsuna found himself flanked by a kitsune on one side and a nekomata on the other, both of whom insisted on glaring at each other over his head. Mukuro coiled a possessive arm around Tsuna's waist, but Tsuna let him because it felt nice, Mukuro had said yesterday that he _needed _to touch Tsuna, and Tsuna knew it was probably a good idea to give Gokudera a visible reminder that Tsuna wasn't the only person he needed to convince.

"Say, Gokudera-kun," Tsuna rasped when they were perhaps halfway back to the shrine. Though the sun was drifting lower on the horizon, the blistering heat was strong as ever. "Um, by any chance… are you making the heat wave?"

Gokudera scratched the back of his head, looking awkward. "Well… yeah, I did set it off," he muttered, then went on defensively, "It's not like I'm keeping it up, though! When I felt that other asshole start up a drought, I tried to undo it. I was pissed about… other shit, but it's not like I wanted to cause this much of a problem for Sis and the Kyofu villagers. The weather's stayed like this because my heat wave got tangled up with the asshole's drought, so even though my magic's not feeding it anymore, it's sticking around. If the drought gets fixed, the heat wave will go away."

"Oh, um… good to know," Tsuna said, trying not to sigh. He'd hoped that Gokudera could make the weather cool down a little now. Oh well.

Gokudera looked at him anxiously, so Tsuna did his best to muster a reassuring smile. He wasn't mad at the nekomata, and didn't want him to think that he was. After all, Gokudera had probably only created the heat wave in the first place because he was grieving his mother's death. Besides, the draught was causing the real damage to the area, and that wasn't Gokudera's fault.

Gokudera grinned back and relaxed.

They reached the shrine just after dark, to find that Nana and Chrome had already returned. Bianchi's eyes widened when she saw Gokudera with them.

"Hayato! Are you alright?" she asked, walking forward until Gokudera stiffened and scowled, at which point she stopped where she was.

"I'm fine," he grumbled.

"Well, he's injured, and it's infected, but he should recover pretty quickly," Tsuna said. "This was in his back," he went on, showing his mother and Bianchi the small knife. "I got it out, cleaned the wound, put disinfectant on it, and bandaged it."

"Good job, Tsu-kun," Nana said warmly, patting him on the head. "Did you ask about, ah…?"

"Yeah," Tsuna replied. "He said he made the heat wave, but he stopped his magic when the Demon Hunter's guardian started the drought. Except the spells must have gotten tangled up a little, so that's why there's still a heat wave. Gokudera-kun thinks it should go away when the other demon ends the drought."

"I see," Nana said, then turned to smile at Gokudera. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Gokudera-kun. I'm Tsunayoshi's mother, Sawada Nana. And this is Mukuro's little sister, Chrome. Would you like me to take a look at your injury as well, or leave your treatment in Tsu-kun's hands?"

"I want him to keep treating me," Gokudera said immediately, with so much confidence in Tsuna that Tsuna couldn't help but blush.

"Alright," Nana agreed. "Tsu-kun, if you have any questions, just ask me, won't you?"

"Yes, Mom."

They had dinner – introducing Gokudera to Fuuta in the process – and then the three adolescent boys were shooed out to the bath house. Gokudera was careful to keep his back high enough out of the water so that the bandage wouldn't get wet, while at the same time trying to position himself as close to Tsuna as possible. Mukuro, in silent retort, sat on Tsuna's other side, pressing their thighs flush against one another as he draped arm around Tsuna's shoulders.

Tsuna restrained a sigh, and instead asked Gokudera, "So, um, why… do you want to come with us so badly, Gokudera-kun?"

Gokudera stared at the water broodily for a moment, then answered, "Well, I'd leave anyway, once I'm healed. I've never really gotten along with my old man, and I'm not denning with him now that… now that Mom's not around. She used to be a guardian, you know," he said, eyes shining bright with adoring pride. "For a medicine shaman, like you. She told me all sorts of things, about all the places they went, and all the people they helped, and they even fought for the Emperor in a war! One time she – "

Gokudera cut himself off, glanced at them, cleared his throat, and then went on seriously, "She said that how well a blood wedding worked out for a guardian depended on the shaman, but if you could find one who saw their guardians as equals, and wanted to help and protect them as much as they were helped and protected, someone who really _cared, _that it was the best life in the world. And I can tell that you're that type of person, Sawada," he went on, eager and earnest. "So I do know what I'm getting into. Mom told me all about blood weddings, I know how they work."

Tsuna slid down until his chin touched the water, brow furrowed and pensive. So Gokudera wanted to be like his mother? He supposed that made sense. But even if Gokudera knew what he was in for, accepted Tsuna that much… it was still rushing into things. They'd literally just met, and Tsuna couldn't have impressed the nekomata _that _much, could he?

Of course, Tsuna's opinion of Gokudera mattered, too, but even though they barely knew each other, his instincts wanted him to accept, to have Gokudera as a guardian. Gokudera needed him, he could feel it.

It would be really nice to have more friends, too. Gokudera… seemed like a great guy. Someone who would be a good friend. That was the impression Tsuna got. After all, both times he could have seriously hurt Tsuna, he hadn't. He hadn't even touched him. He was surprisingly easy to talk to, too, for a demon. Aside from a nekomata's typical preference for using clan names over given names, Gokudera had more casual manners than Mukuro, and didn't give off the sense of superiority the way the kitsune did. Tsuna could already relax when talking to Gokudera in a way that he still couldn't quite manage with Mukuro.

And what would happen to Gokudera if Tsuna refused? He'd probably go after the Demon Hunter who'd attacked him, and get himself killed. Or strike out on his own. Gokudera wasn't quite mature enough by demon standards to be independent, and Tsuna worried that not only would Gokudera be lonely, he wouldn't be able to survive by himself. Was he one of the ones Yuni had told him about, whom he'd be able to save with a blood wedding?

His intuition said yes.

And Yuni had never said that the blood wedding itself would be the action that saved them, like it had been for Mukuro – just that Tsuna would save the people the rings were meant for if he kept the rings with him.

Tsuna did think he should give Gokudera one of the guardian rings. If Gokudera really wanted it.

But… it wasn't just up to him.

Tsuna looked at Mukuro. "It's your decision," he said simply.

Mukuro's eyes widened a fraction, and then softened. His gaze took on a predatory edge as he focused on Gokudera. "Is that so…? In that case, I'd like to speak with the kitten in private. No, you stay here," Mukuro added when Tsuna started to get up. "Let's go for a walk, Gokudera Hayato." With that, he stood and strode from the bath.

"Good luck," Tsuna said to Gokudera, who turned his grimace at Mukuro's back into a tentative smile for Tsuna before he got up and followed after the kitsune.

Mukuro's totally going to ask for sex, Tsuna thought, sinking back down into the bath and trying to pretend that didn't bother him at all.

* * *

Mukuro put on a yukata and slipped his feet into sandals, then walked all the way off the shrine grounds without so much as checking to see if the cat was following him. He could hear and smell him without needing to look around like an anxious cub.

When he came to an outcropping of rocks that would hide them from view of the shrine, he stopped, and finally turned to face Gokudera. He surveyed the other demon closely for the first time, taking in his human appearance. Handsome, even on the verge of beautiful, and fit, with very pretty pale green eyes and nice silver hair, but his looks didn't eclipse Mukuro's own, and Mukuro was taller, and older, too, if only by a few paltry years. He could grudgingly admit that Gokudera had a bit more muscle tone, though.

"Did you want to talk, or just stare at me?" Gokudera asked, clearly trying not to bristle. He was anxious to make a good impression, but annoyed that he had to make a good impression on Mukuro.

"Both," Mukuro replied in a tone that made the cat growl. His lips quirked a little. Just as prickly as his mother had always told him cats were. Maybe even more so.

Seeing that Gokudera was trying to keep some distance between them, Mukuro stepped forward until they were toe-to-toe, forcing Gokudera to look up to meet his eyes. Now the cat _did _bristle, but he held his ground.

"Did your dam really tell you all the details of what it is to be bound to a shaman like this?" Mukuro asked him coolly, schooling his expression to neutrality. "He'll know where you are at all times, know your intentions and if you lie to him, be able to stop you from using magic if you displease him. He'll be able to force you to obey. Even being just this far from him physically is somewhat uncomfortable for me, and the burning desire to touch him plagues me constantly, and turns into a desperate need if I ignore it too long. Whatever choices he makes, wherever he goes, you will be bound to him for the rest of his life, and that could be eight to twelve decades. Are you truly prepared for that?"

Mukuro was exaggerating, of course – he didn't feel any discomfort from the current distance between himself and Tsuna at all, and while there was a faint yearning to be back and snuggling with his shaman, it wasn't the anxious need it had been when Mukuro hadn't touched Tsuna for a week, nor had any physical contact with him between that point and the blood wedding.

But he wasn't above a little exaggeration to try and drive the nekomata off. He was more than willing to go farther than that, but he couldn't push in a way Tsuna would recognize, or else Tsuna would be angry with him, and perhaps even more likely to welcome Gokudera.

Mukuro usually preferred subtlety anyway, but he'd really love any excuse to put this hissy cat in the dirt.

Gokudera tilted his head, eyes narrowed. "Has he forced you to do anything?" he asked flatly.

"…No," Mukuro admitted grudgingly. Directly lying was too dangerous, unfortunately. A pity, because he'd really like to push an unsavory interpretation of Tsuna's character onto Gokudera. That would be the best way to dissuade him. "But it's only been two weeks, and he feels guilty for forcing it upon me. As we both grow more acclimated to it, that will undoubtedly change." Or not. Mukuro couldn't even imagine an assertive Tsuna, let alone a forceful one.

"He saved your life with the blood wedding, right?" When Mukuro gave a stiff nod, Gokudera tossed his head and said, "I bet you have more experience with humans than I do. How many would feel guilty about something they did to _save _you, just because you don't like the side effects? How many would have bothered to save you in the first place, except to _get _the side effects?"

Mukuro just grunted. He didn't like that the cat had such a good impression of Tsuna; combined with his apparently strong desire to be a guardian, that meant the chances of changing his mind were practically nonexistant. So much for that, then.

Instead, he switched tactics, and said with a sharp smile, "Very well, I can see that nothing I've said has surprised you, and you've taken Tsuna's measure, so I may as well confirm that you've done so accurately. He's compassionate, he views me as an equal, and even values my feelings to the extent that he'll defer decisions to me if I'm going to be impacted by them. I suppose it's unlikely that you'd find a better shaman to serve if that's what you're looking for. And he's very cute," he finished on an aside that appeared off-handed, watching for the cat's reaction intently.

"Yeah," Gokudera agreed, blushing a little, and might have begun to relax if Mukuro hadn't slammed both hands onto the rock behind Gokudera, thus boxing him in. So he went rigid instead.

If you're ever going to have to fight someone other than another kitsune over a rutting partner, his mother had taught him, it's going to be a cat. Foxes liked rutting the best, needed it the most, but cats weren't _that _far behind them. Both species were also incredibly territorial of what they considered theirs, and unlike other demons, nekomata and kitsune rarely let someone else having a prior claim dissuade them from making their own advances.

"Let me be clear with you, Gokudera Hayato," Mukuro purred. "I met him first, became his guardian first, rutted with him first. I have first claim. And I don't like sharing. Tsuna is apparently willing to have you as his guardian, but I still need to be convinced. Why should I share his attention with you?"

Gokudera bared his teeth – more an instinctive response to a challenge than anything else. His cheeks had flushed from temper, but Mukuro was somewhat surprised to catch a whiff of embarrassment, too.

After a minute, Gokudera let out an agitated rumble and averted his eyes. If he did so to try and keep Mukuro from seeing the calculation in his expression, he failed. Miserably.

A few more seconds of considering silence passed until Gokudera wrinkled his nose, then said stiffly, "I've never… talked much with humans before. I've never actually set foot in Kyofu, or any other village in the old man's territory. Sometimes I'd spot people outside the villages, but they'd run in the other direction if they saw me. The only humans I've ever interacted with are Sis and her mother, and even then not much. Everything I know, I learned from Mom and the old man, and they weren't that social, either. Mom only talked about her shaman and I never really listened to the old man. So… if I become Sawada's guardian, I'd probably need to ask you for, like. Advice. And demonstrations."

Mukuro arched an eyebrow. "You want me to teach you how to deal with humans? Including rutting with them, I suppose?" That's what he meant by "demonstrations," wasn't it? Which constituted not only an offer to rut, but also further established their relationship as one where Mukuro would have seniority. And it was nice to have his prowess with humans acknowledged by another demon his age.

He supposed that qualified as a decent first incentive, but that was hardly enough by itself.

"I guess," Gokudera admitted in a low grumble, squirming a little before he finally dared to meet Mukuro's eyes again, having apparently decided that Mukuro wouldn't find the hostility and challenge glinting in his eyes off-putting enough to close down negotiations. Mukuro generously didn't object. "And I bet I know way more about being a guardian than you do, from Mom. There's not as much of a power imbalance as you and Sawada seem to think. Especially when there's more than one guardian."

"Is that so?" Mukuro smiled. He knew quite well that there wasn't as much of an imbalance as _Tsuna _thought – he'd been probing the bond tentatively for the past two weeks to try and get a feel for just how much it could influence him, and what he'd found didn't measure up to how guilty Tsuna felt, though Tsuna might just be reacting more strongly to being given the cold shoulder than Mukuro had anticipated. Plus, there was a side effect or two which actively leveled out the playing field, though Mukuro would prefer that Tsuna didn't find out about that until he was slightly more skilled at anticipating and manipulating the human's behavior.

In any case, he could admit to himself that he was hardly well-educated on the topic, and he didn't want to ask Nana or Tsuna for extra details because, firstly, they didn't seem to know much more than he did, and secondly, he didn't want them to realize just how little knowledge about the mechanics of blood weddings and guardians he had. Prior to his current situation, he'd known that blood weddings existed and had a vague idea of the strength of the connection that existed between shaman and guardian, but that was all. So he could tap Gokudera for information, then.

Which meant the nekomata was worth taking a closer look at. Canting his head to the side, Mukuro asked, "Would you like to rut with me?"

"Isn't that why you dragged me out where we wouldn't be seen?" Gokudera shot back. "You foxes always want to rut. I figured you'd want to fuck me to find out if you like the feel of me, and base your decision on that. I'm surprised you actually wanted to talk to me instead of just shove your dick in me right off the bat."

Mukuro's nose wrinkled. "You're so vulgar."

"_You're _an asshole," Gokudera retorted.

Mukuro snorted, then leaned in to get Gokudera's scent. The cat grunted but tipped his head to the side, giving Mukuro choice access to his neck, where his scent was strongest. Mukuro pressed his nose against smooth skin, breathing deep, rumbling quietly with curious interest.

Gokudera's scent was as attractive as his looks were, sharp and spicy but with tantalizing, barely-perceptible undertones of sweetness. It was refreshingly easy to read, too – Gokudera found him physically attractive, was receptive to rutting, and, though slightly uncertain due to inexperience, didn't exude hesitation or nervousness or a lack of confidence the way Tsuna did. There was also the firm sense that, while willing to let Mukuro lead for now, the cat had no intentions of being submissive or passive, which was in line with Mukuro's preferences. Mukuro's tongue flicked to get a taste of Gokudera's skin and found that pleasing, too. An overall good rutting partner by Mukuro's standards, assuming he had any skill at giving pleasure. Even a potential favorite if he gained enough experience and didn't take the more obnoxious aspects of his personality to bed with him.

He noticed that, while he was getting Gokudera's scent, the nekomata had angled his head to try and sniff Mukuro as unobtrusively as possible, too. Though if he'd never rutted before, he'd hardly be able to take Mukuro's measure as a partner accurately, or know how it gelled with his own tastes. Not that Mukuro blamed him; they hadn't exactly had the opportunity to get a good feel of each other's strength and disposition earlier because Tsuna had jumped in first.

It was difficult to measure personality and power by scent alone, unfortunately; some things you just had to see in action in order to gauge them properly. Mukuro definitely wanted a chance to test himself against Gokudera, and he was sure the cat wanted the same, but it would have to wait until after Gokudera was fully healed for it to truly be a fair – and more importantly, accurate – reading of one another. Mukuro wouldn't have initiated a challenge this afternoon at all if he'd realized that Gokudera's wound hadn't had the chance to heal at all due to the weapon still being embedded in his back. Gokudera was stupid or stubborn or both to have accepted the challenge in his condition. Either that, or he'd assumed Mukuro wouldn't acknowledge his right to a deferral, which was outrageously insulting and Mukuro had tossed that possibility out immediately, it was just too much of an affront to entertain.

Anyway, until they could execute an effective rank challenge, Gokudera seemed to have reluctantly accepted Mukuro as having a dominant standing, but only for _Tsuna's _sake, which was rather irksome. Even without testing one another, Mukuro was confident that he was dominant. He was truly beyond exceptional for his age, after all.

Also he was bigger.

Well, at the very least, Mukuro wasn't going to put up with someone who wasn't pleasant to have sex with, pretty face or not.

Mukuro lifted his head enough to murmur in Gokudera's ear, "I'm going to test how enjoyable you are to rut with now, but I don't mind making it educational while I'm at it, since you have no experience. Pay attention to what I do, and how it feels, and then when I'm done, you will try to pleasure me using what you've learned."

"Alright," Gokudera agreed warily.

Mukuro smiled, and trailed slow, soft kisses down Gokudera's throat as he gently disrobed the shorter boy, draping the yukata over one of the rocks because he wasn't the type of barbarian who would drop one in the dirt. Mukuro's own yukata soon joined it. Given the hot, dry air, being nude was at least slightly more comfortable.

Mukuro knelt in front of Gokudera, fingers lightly caressing slender hips. He would have preferred to play with the cat more, but he didn't want to draw this out too long, and he didn't think Gokudera would tolerate much in the way of foreplay anyway.

Mukuro nuzzled at Gokudera's pubic hair, thicker and slightly coarser than his own, if not as rough as Tsuna's. The scent of the nekomata's arousal was rich and heady, but didn't quite drown out the plethora of other interesting scents that tended to coalesce around the groin. Tsuna's smelled better, but then again, Mukuro had never met anyone who smelled as good as Tsuna. Gokudera's smells were actually rather exciting; with the exception of Tsuna, Mukuro liked them better than those of every other rutting partner he'd had.

When his lips ghosted past the base of Gokudera's erection to caress his testicles, Mukuro heard the cat begin to purr. Not the soft thrumming sound most people were capable of – the full-bodied and highly audible vibrations of a happy feline.

Mukuro's eyes flicked briefly upwards, amused and intrigued. That could be fun to play with.

Also it was _cute. _He had not expected Gokudera to be cute, at all.

Mukuro first kissed and then slowly licked his way around Gokudera's balls, so that the cat would know what those sensations felt like should he desire to replicate them. What Gokudera's dam and sire had been thinking to neglect such essential experiences before now, Mukuro had no idea. His own mother had had his first educational rutting partner selected out when he was younger than Chrome, though he'd hit adolescence early. Still, there couldn't be any reason to leave it so late as Gokudera's age –

– Except Gokudera would have just hit adolescence around when his human sister had been born, so perhaps that had something to do with it. After all, if Gokudera were balking his sire in general, he'd probably be balking at having a rutting partner selected _for _him – and it _would _be his sire's pick, since it was his territory – and by Gokudera's own admittance he'd never spoken with human outsiders. If other demons hadn't come through the area in recent years, either… that would explain things.

Oh well. Educational rutting was fun, too. Mukuro liked playing the role of the teacher. It tickled his sense of his own superiority.

He slowly trailed his tongue from the base of Gokudera's cock to the tip, then took the head in his mouth.

The volume of Gokudera's purring increased dramatically, and Mukuro felt hands fist in his hair, felt the cat's muscles trembling from the restraint it took not to buck and plunge himself in completely. Mukuro smiled. That was also cute, and Gokudera's taste was pleasing, if already thick with precum. Novices had no stamina whatsoever.

But being able to train not just Tsuna, but also Gokudera would be entertaining, and eventually quite rewarding. He'd have two rutting partners trained up to completely suit his personal tastes.

Inch by inch, Mukuro took Gokudera's length deeper, waiting just long enough before each advancement to show the cat what each depth felt like. Finally, his lips encircled the base, tongue writhing against the intrusive girth.

Gokudera's purring sounded like an avalanche. Mukuro could _feel _the vibrations, too, and his own erection strained harder at the thought of how strongly he would feel it if Gokudera purred through giving him oral sex. Someone with such a delicious ability was certainly worth keeping around.

It only took some ministrations from his tongue and a moment of hard sucking before the purring gave way to an orgasmic yowl. Mukuro swallowed some of the ejaculate in order not to choke, but kept as much of it as he could on his tongue as he pulled back, stood, and then seized Gokudera's mouth with his own.

He could tell the cat was startled to have his cum fed back to him, and was agitated by the mouth-kissing, which was usually more of a courting or mating thing. Mukuro wasn't happy about it either, but acclimating Gokudera to the taste and texture was important.

"So you're not too startled by mine to swallow," Mukuro explained, staying close enough that his lips continued to brush against Gokudera's, and so that the cat could feel it when he licked his lips. Mostly just to tease him some more. Sparking Gokudera's temper was fun.

"You didn't swallow mine," Gokudera pointed out, somehow managing to sound sour despite being simultaneously dazed and breathless. He turned his head away, nose wrinkling, his scent sparking with irritation at Mukuro's breach of proper rutting etiquette.

"Well, you're swallowing mine," Mukuro said, smirking, not bothering to correct him. He did lean back somewhat, though. "So get to work."

"Who's being vulgar now?" Gokudera asked, mouth twisting.

Mukuro just snorted.

They switched places, Mukuro standing with his back against the rock while Gokudera knelt in front of him. Seeing the bandage on his back was a reminder not to be too rough, but oral sex shouldn't strain the nekomata overly much. Best not to leave him kneeling too long, though. Mukuro prepared his body to cum relatively quickly.

Gokudera spent a minute too long curiously nosing around Mukuro's crotch, in the kitsune's opinion. But he supposed he could appreciate the desire to get a better whiff of all those new interesting scents; he'd done it himself, the first time he'd rutted. And he always tried to get the scent of each rutting partner he had, though some of the humans reacted strangely to being sniffed at great length. It had taken more self-control that Mukuro wanted to admit to restrain himself from spending his entire sexual encounter with Tsuna with his nose buried in the boy's crotch.

"You smell really good," Gokudera said at last, the kind of casual off-handed comment that meant more because it was sincerity instead of flattery.

"Thank you," Mukuro replied, unable to keep from preening a little. He liked compliments. Though he didn't think Gokudera had to sound quite_ that_ surprised about it. "You smell very good, too. But hurry up, it's been more than two weeks since I rutted with Tsunayoshi."

"Why?" Gokudera asked, darting a baffled look up at him.

Which was _why has it been more than two weeks, _and not _why should I hurry, _so the cat had some brains, at least.

"He doesn't want his mother to know that we rut, or even know that we talk about rutting," Mukuro said, trying to maintain some decorum and not sound as sulky about that as he still felt. "Besides, we've only rutted once, and that was Tsunayoshi's first sexual experience, so he's apparently still feeling very shy about it."

"I don't mind rutting with you more often than that," Gokudera volunteered. "And I don't care who knows, either."

Mukuro slanted a cool look at him. Those were hardly notable declarations when made by a demon. One might as well say, "we can talk about the weather on occasion, and I don't mind if other people overhear."

"Well, that's good," he said silkily, "but first you have to prove you can give me adequate pleasure, Gokudera Hayato."

Though after spending two weeks in the company of two humans – only one of whom was an appropriate rutting partner – a very-recently-human ice spirit child, and his sister, and a week before that only rutting once, it would be nice having someone around who was able and willing to keep up with his libido, even if they were completely inept; worse came to worst, Gokudera could just let Mukuro mount him. Not a lot of diversity, but it would take the edge off, at the very least.

Gokudera shot him an affronted look at the implication that he might not be able to give Mukuro pleasure, then boldly leaned in and took as much of Mukuro's erection into his mouth as he could in one go. Mukuro resisted the urge to roll his eyes. It felt very nice, but cutting right to the chase like that was so _boring. _Gokudera couldn't manage to take Mukuro in to his base, either but Mukuro wouldn't have expected a beginner to anyway.

"Purr," Mukuro instructed him, hoping to improve the experience somewhat. After a beat of silence, Gokudera slowly began to purr again.

Now _that _was more like it! Mukuro's head tipped back and he panted, delighted at how strong the vibrations felt over his length. It was so new and unfamiliar and tantalizing that it might set him off embarrassingly quickly if he wasn't careful. Being fingered at the same time would be _marvelous_, but he'd need to teach Gokudera how to do it right first, and now wasn't the time for that. Oh well.

So instead, he encouraged the cat huskily, "Touch my testicles," and then moaned appreciatively when Gokudera obliged, fingers lightly caressing the sensitive skin.

With the purring, the fondling, and a few minutes of clumsy sucking on a _very _desperate fox, Mukuro was soon digging his fingernails into Gokudera's skull as he cried out with orgasm. Quick enough that it would have been embarrassing with a more experienced partner, but Gokudera had still climaxed faster when it had been his turn, and was unlikely to recognize such things yet anyway.

Gokudera did manage to swallow it all. Or most of it; Mukuro ignored that the cat was swiping the corner of his mouth clean as he stood up.

"So?" Gokudera prompted him, still somewhat breathless.

Mukuro pretended to think about it just to hear the cat growl. He was so entertainingly easy to provoke a reaction out of. Such an abrasive personality as the cat had could be annoying in some regards, but fun to play with in others.

And he did not want to give up the chance to experience that wonderful purring some more.

"I have seniority and first claim on Tsunayoshi's attention," Mukuro said at last. "You'll give me all the knowledge you have about being a guardian, and rut with me if I'm not able to find my pleasure elsewhere. And you're not to rut with Chrome unless you get my permission to do so first."

He'd have to do something about finding a first educational rutting partner for Chrome soon, though. Something to think about later. But her first time was absolutely not going to be with a clumsy, inexperienced, ill-tempered cat. Mukuro was by far a better big brother than that, thank you very much.

"You have seniority and first claim," Gokudera allowed grudgingly, because in this case, _seniority _and _dominance _were two separate things and both of them understood that. And he could hardly contest _first claim _when Mukuro had already rutted with Tsuna once. "But don't you completely monopolize him just to prove you can, either. I'll rut with you if I'm in the mood to, but don't expect that to be every time you want to, so don't you go assuming you can do anything without asking first. And I won't touch your sister as long as you don't touch mine."

Mukuro huffed. Spoil sport. "Fine."

Gokudera brightened. "So you don't mind if I become Sawada's guardian?"

"I wouldn't say that," Mukuro drawled. "I'd like to speak with Tsunayoshi in private before I say anything with finality. If he's able to alleviate the last of my concerns, I'll tell him I don't object to his performing a blood wedding with you if that's what he wants to do." After a beat of hesitation so that the cat would think he was lowering his guard, Mukuro went on quietly, "Just keep in mind that the circumstances of our blood weddings are different, and I am not interested in contests to prove who's the better guardian."

By which he meant to imply, _don't make me feel inadequate by comparison when I didn't even want this in the first place, _which he would never lower himself to say even for the sake of manipulation, but he saw comprehension on Gokudera's face. Good. Mukuro did not want to hear one more word of that irritating "better guardian" nonsense, and having a degree of sympathy between them would smooth their interactions somewhat, so that they'd ideally be less grating on Tsuna's temper. That wasn't an effect Mukuro wanted to aim for.

Gokudera gave Mukuro an awkward pat on the back, which was plainly meant to be reassuring so Mukuro allowed it. Mukuro still didn't like the idea of sharing Tsuna with anyone, but Gokudera was more or less tolerable, and came with enough benefits to outweigh Mukuro's reservations. Especially given that for whatever reason, Tsuna wanted to go along with this, and if Mukuro wanted to keep their relationship in good repair, he'd need to make a concession or two from time to time.

He did want to improve his interactions with Tsuna somewhat, too, now that the human had had a taste of separation and should be pining for him, and accepting this would aid that goal. Gokudera's arrival just meant he'd have to make some efforts of his own rather than force Tsuna to make all the overtures. Oh well.

The demons stepped back from one another and put their yukata and sandals back on.

"Oh, one more thing," Mukuro said as they made their way back to the shrine. When Gokudera shot him a curious look, he went on cheerfully, "Call me 'senpai.'"

"Hell no."

* * *

End A/Ns: Ahh, it's so nice to have species with freer sexual customs. Makes it so much easier to get to the smut while staying in character. ;D Mukuro and Gokudera obviously aren't particularly fond of each other here (yet), but demons don't need to _like _their sexual partners, just find them attractive. (Refer back to TFB where Mukuro and Chrome were surprised that Tsuna wanted to get to know Mukuro beforehand.) Rutting doesn't generally entail emotional investment; that's mating, and it's a completely separate thing for demons. Rutting is just "you're hot, I'm hot, we're both horny, let's not kill each other for now and boink instead." *thumbs up*

Also, this way "sex" and "romance" are two very different things, so I can have one right away while giving the other the time and build-up it needs to be effective. ^_^

And just in case there is any misunderstanding the only "bigger" Mukuro feels smug about is that his demon form is larger than Gokudera's, and that his human form is taller. Shapeshifters are hardly going to make a big deal about the size of something they can change on a whim. *waggles eyebrows*

(They can't make their demon body larger than its true size, though, or exceed their "real" height while in human form, so yes, overall mass _is _something they have stupid pissing contests over.)

…can you tell that I really love this premise and love talking about it ahahahaha

**OKAY WITH ALL THAT BABBLING OUT OF THE WAY THIS IS AN IMPORTANT NOTE IF YOU ARE KEEPING UP WITH THE FIC AS IT UPDATES**

I am in grad school. I have a part-time job. My spring semester starts this week. I am graduating in May. Thus, I will have backbreaking amounts of schoolwork AND work-work AND post-graduation-job-hunting accompanied by job-hunting related stress. AND I'd like to start working on some original stuff because it would be nice to make some money with my writing, y'know?

Thinking long and hard about it, while I determined that weekly updates _might _still be feasible, it would turn fanfiction into yet another stressful thing and that would probably kill my enthusiasm and make me unhappy so I am not going to do that to myself.

Thus, from this point forward, my aim is to update Cat Scratch Fever every three weeks, meaning the next chapter will be on February 10th.

(IF I ever build up enough of a buffer to feel comfortable doing so, I may change to a quicker update schedule, but don't count on it. I'm about to have a _lot _on my plate.)


	4. Chapter 4

A/Ns: Going to put in a friendly reminder that this series is not supposed to be more than casually period-accurate (heck, it's practically an alternate-Japan-esque fantasy world), and also mention that yakuza were a thing since like the late 1600s/early 1700s and the time period setting of Medicine Shaman Tsuna is heavily influenced by Mushishi which takes place "an imaginary time between the Edo (1603-1868) and Meiji (1868-1912) periods" and granted the Mushishi time period is not 100% the same as what I'm doing but my point is

I CAN TALK ABOUT YAKUZA IF I WANT TO SO THERE

/makes a big deal about something that gets a very brief reference and will never receive much focus

Ah, also, I received a review for The Fox Bride from a person without an account that called themselves "The Critical man," and I really wanted to address the critiques they made, so I did so on my tumblr account (pcatchesh); just add this to my tumblr url to see my response: /post/75411257171

If anyone ever wants to have any kind of discussion with me about the Medicine Shaman Tsuna series or anything else writing-related, please send me an ask on tumblr! :) I really love this premise, and I love talking about anything writing-related, and also I am a gigantic dork so there is no need to feel shy! Feel free to just drop by and say hi if you like, I promise I don't bite. :3 I also tag everything I post about this series, so if you wanna browse through that it's on my tumblr under /tagged/medicine-shaman-tsuna

* * *

Cat Scratch Fever

Chapter 4

* * *

After he got out of the bath, Tsuna went back to the guest room. Fuuta wasn't there – Nana was worried about him, and wanted him in her room so that she could keep an eye on him. So it would just be Tsuna, Mukuro, and probably Gokudera in here tonight.

Tsuna lay down on his futon. He stared at the ceiling for a while, then swung an arm over his eyes.

How was Mukuro and Gokudera's conversation going? Tsuna wasn't sure what he hoped the outcome would be. He was a little freaked out by how quickly he'd been able to talk himself into acceptance, intuition or not.

Medicine shamans who took guardians were rare, but if Demon Hunters could get their hands on a set of blood wedding rings – difficult though that was – they had the reputation of either coercing or forcing creatures into service. A shaman with guardians was widely regarded as being smart and powerful, but to Tsuna they had always sounded like bullies. Or at the very least, like selfish, careless people who put their ambitions ahead of their own family, and always thought they knew what was best for you without ever even _asking _if that's what you yourself wanted, and acted like they could never, ever be wrong about anything_ –_

A hand lightly touched his shoulder, pulling Tsuna out of his half-dozing state. He lowered his arm off his face to blink sleepily at amused red-and-blue eyes, then sat up with a jolt.

"Mukuro! Oh, um… how… how did it go? Where's Gokudera-kun?"

"I asked him to give us some privacy for a few minutes," Mukuro replied, sitting himself perpendicular to Tsuna. "He's convinced me as much as he's going to, so my final answer rests on this conversation."

"Oh," Tsuna said. "Okay. Um. That's good. I wanted to be able to talk to you alone before I did anything, anyway. But you go first," he added when Mukuro quirked an eyebrow.

"If you insist." Mukuro tilted his head, a slight chill to his expression. "Why are _you _willing to go through with this? We've heard the kitten's reasons, but I don't know yours."

Tsuna drew his knees up to his chest and folded his arms around them, brows drawing down pensively. "Oh, well… A few things, I guess. I was thinking about what Gokudera-kun would do if I turned him down, and how he probably wouldn't do so well on his own, and… he does seem to really want to a lot, and… even when he had the chance to hurt me, twice, he never touched me, even though he didn't have any reason why he shouldn't. And… he seems like a really great person. I'd like to have more friends. And, well… I don't know, I just… get the feeling… that I should. Yuni said that having those rings would let me… 'save those meant to wear them,' and… I feel like Gokudera-kun is one of those people."

Under Mukuro's glittering gaze, Tsuna grimaced and buried his hands in his hair. "I don't know! This is all happening really fast and I feel like I shouldn't have come to a decision so easily. I never wanted to be the type of shaman who'd have guardians, because they always _use _them, and use them to _fight, _and it never seemed fair to the guardians, and I don't want to be that type of person! I don't want to be like – " Tsuna's jaw clicked shut, he shook his head, and then continued, "It was one thing to save your life, and I guess these circumstances are okay even if they're weird because Gokudera's the one who asked, who wants to, but… what if I start looking for potential guardians, or… what if I start using Yuni's prophecy as an excuse? I just… my heart's telling me that it's okay, but my head's telling me that this is totally crazy, and I don't want to mess up, and I… I just don't to disappoint you, or let you down."

Mukuro's eyes widened, and then he closed them, smiling ruefully. "I see." He rested his palms behind him, on the other side of Tsuna's legs, so he could lean back while still sticking close to Tsuna. "I don't know if I'll ever get used to the way you think, Sawada Tsunayoshi. But I don't think you need to worry about what type of person you are, or will become. Your instincts are strong, for a human, and now that I think of it, you've constantly been putting my and the kitten's feelings before your own. Just because a life-changing decision was easy, doesn't necessarily mean that it must be wrong, or flawed. I suppose I've been a little hard on you recently," he went on, turning smoky eyes on Tsuna, "but I do trust you, darling. Do what you feel is right."

Tsuna stared at him for a minute, then leaned forward to twine his arms around the kitsune's neck. Mukuro hugged him back tightly, rubbing his cheek in Tsuna's hair as he gave a soft rumble of pleasure.

It was too hot to maintain that kind of contact for long, though, so after a moment Tsuna sat back again.

"Thanks, Mukuro," he said, smiling.

Mukuro smiled back, but then asked plaintively, "You really think I'll have to share you with _five _others?"

Tsuna made an aborted sound that might have been a giggle or a whimper, he wasn't sure. "I don't know. Maybe? That's what Yuni seemed to mean, but…"

Mukuro heaved a long-suffering sigh. "Then I suppose enduring the kitten will be good practice for me."

"Y-yeah."

Tsuna was going to have to break up a lot of fights, wasn't he.

"Now, before we call the kitten back in, what did you want to ask me about?" Mukuro said, tilting his head.

Tsuna flushed and squirmed. "Oh, well… I guess I wanted to ask if… are things okay with us? Or are you still mad about this afternoon or last night, or last week, or…" He trailed off when Mukuro bent in to give him an affectionate kiss on the cheek.

"I am currently neither angry nor upset with you," Mukuro said, then went on wryly, "but I admit I am both fickle and easily offended, and I am not thrilled about either sharing you with another demon or being unable to be as intimate with you as I would like, so I make no guarantees about my future behavior."

"At least you admit it," Tsuna grumbled under his breath, and Mukuro chuckled.

"Was there anything else?"

That was as much of an answer as he was going to get right now, then.

Tsuna hesitated. Part of him wanted to ask about whether or not Mukuro and Gokudera had had sex, while the rest of him _really really didn't. _Because it was awkward and embarrassing and he didn't want to sound jealous. He didn't want to _be _jealous.

He couldn't find any words, though, so instead he tugged lightly on the front of Mukuro's yukata as he leaned in to rest his forehead against the kitsune's shoulder, breathing deeply. Something about Mukuro's scent just… calmed him down. Especially since the blood wedding.

Mukuro's arm casually draped around Tsuna, hand gently rubbing Tsuna's back. After a moment of silence, he asked, "Do you want to rut?"

Tsuna made a face, but didn't pull away. "…No thanks." He took a deep breath, and made himself go on, "You… just did with Gokudera-kun, didn't you?"

"Well, yes, but I could give _you _pleasure. What is it?" Mukuro asked, frowning as he tipped Tsuna's chin up to examine his face. Tsuna had tried to restrain a flinch and failed.

"N-nothing! It's nothing. Don't worry about it," Tsuna said quickly, blushing.

Mukuro surveyed him narrowly, brow furrowed with something almost like anxiety. "Would you… prefer it if I didn't rut with Gokudera Hayato?"

"No! That's not… I wouldn't ask you for that," Tsuna said. Demons could have a mate they loved with all their heart and still rut with others, and that was perfectly acceptable by demon standards – expected, even. They didn't conflate sex with romance, and sex was an essential part of their culture. They used it to forge bonds between clans, to settle disputes, to teach and learn about their bodies, and all sorts of other things. Asking Mukuro to cater to Tsuna's human sensibilities would be grossly unfair.

Tsuna would never ask for something like that from a friend.

"You have things you need to adjust to," he went on at last, "and I have things I need to adjust to, too. That's all."

Mukuro considered him for another minute, then gave a small smile. He seemed pleased, though Tsuna had the nervous feeling that it wasn't just because he was glad Tsuna didn't want fidelity.

"Alright." Mukuro bent down to purr in Tsuna's ear, his free hand resting a _little _too high up Tsuna's leg, "But you do smell on the verge of arousal, Tsunayoshi. Are you certain you don't want me to…?"

Tsuna gently pushed the intrusive hand towards his knee. "I'm sure. But, um. Maybe… some other time." Once it wasn't so sweltering hot. He couldn't imagine having sex in this weather. Besides, he had the uneasy feeling that –

Someone knocked hard on the door. "Hey, fox! Are you done talking to Sawada yet?"

Mukuro growled.

Tsuna darted him what he hoped was a calming smile, then called, "Um, yeah, you can come in, Gokudera-kun."

Gokudera gladly did just that, sliding the door open and shut quickly, kneeling down eagerly next to Tsuna.

"So how about it, Sawada?" he asked, practically bouncing in place. "Can I be your guardian?"

Before Tsuna could reply, Mukuro murmured, "We should probably check with Sawada Nana, just in case – "

Gokudera slammed his hands down on the floor, eyes flashing. "What is _with _you? Every time I think you're done, you throw up some other stupid obstacle, you damn bastard – "

"You think the approval of Tsunayoshi's mother and teacher is a _stupid _obstacle?" Mukuro returned coolly.

Gokudera sat back on his heels, apparently caught between wanting to strangle Mukuro and having to admit he had a point.

"Look, it's late," Tsuna said quickly. "We can ask Mom about it in the morning, alright? But don't worry, she'll probably say yes, she's really easy-going about this type of thing, and she likes taking care of people," he added to Gokudera, who relaxed and beamed at him, starry-eyed.

"Then – !"

"Yeah," Tsuna said. "I… look forward to, um. To working with you, I guess?" To becoming friends, but Tsuna was too shy to phrase it so presumptuously.

Gokudera let out a joyful whoop and then seized Tsuna's hands, much as he'd done when he'd asked to become a guardian in the first place. "Thank you so much, boss! You won't regret it, I promise!"

"_Boss?_" Tsuna squeaked.

Gokudera laughed and scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, Mom always said being a guardian was like being part of a yakuza family, and the shaman was like the boss."

Why am I being compared to yakuza?! Tsuna groaned internally, but couldn't bring himself to protest. Not when Gokudera looked so enthusiastic and happy.

"_My _mother always said that guardians were more like their shaman's personal harem," Mukuro said, lips quirking, and Tsuna stared at him.

"Was your mother ever…?"

"No," Mukuro said, "but when she was part of the Imperial Court, she had a human half-sister who was the Emperor's personal shaman, and she was well acquainted with her sister's guardians."

"You never mentioned that," Tsuna said, wide-eyed. Mukuro's mother had been the sister of the _Imperial Shaman? _More than seventy years ago since it had been before Mukuro was born, so for a different Emperor, but still. Wow.

Mukuro shrugged. "Mother rarely talked of it. I think her sister died in a premature and tragic fashion. I don't know much more than what I've just told you, and what other knowledge I do have isn't relevant to what it's like to be a guardian, or be a shaman who has guardians."

Gokudera looked back and forth between them, then asked Mukuro with an appalling – and Tsuna half-suspected intentional – lack of tact, "Is your dam dead, too, then?"

Mukuro's jaw clenched, and he bared his teeth – a very unsuccessful attempt at his usual airy smile that didn't at all reach his eyes. "…Yes. She was killed by a Demon Hunter almost three weeks ago."

"Sorry to hear it," Gokudera said, and at least seemed to mean it. "What about your sire?"

"Never met her," Mukuro replied coolly.

Gokudera looked like he was about to ask more – he was probably curious to learn more about them now that he knew he'd be with them long-term – but Tsuna yawned before he could, much to his embarrassment. Both demons glanced at him.

"It's late," Mukuro said. "We can become better acquainted with one another in the morning."

"Yeah," Gokudera agreed.

When Tsuna realized that neither of them seemed about to move, he said pointedly, "Don't you want to set up your futons?"

Gokudera grinned sheepishly at him, and then stood, intentionally shoving Mukuro's shoulder as he walked past. The kitsune gave him an icy stare, then tossed his head and set his futon up next to Tsuna's. Tsuna wished he could have been surprised when Gokudera went to the extra effort of dragging his futon around to set it up on Tsuna's other side.

Tsuna sighed, and then gave a short, guilty jolt when he saw Gokudera gingerly settling down on his stomach. "Oh, I need to treat your back again before bed, I'm so sorry, Gokudera-kun, I can't believe I almost forgot," he babbled as he sprang up and hurried to his medicine box.

"It's alright, boss, I know you've had a lot on your mind today," Gokudera reassured him.

"That's not an excuse, a medicine shaman should always think of his patients first," Tsuna said fretfully. "Mukuro, would you bring some hot water, please?"

Mukuro huffed, but stood and left the room, coming back a few minutes later with a pail. "I took water from the hot spring in the bathhouse," he said.

"Thank you," Tsuna replied. He wasn't sure if Mukuro had either not wanted to use his magic for Gokudera's sake, or had thought it would be faster to get already-hot water instead of taking the time to boil some himself. He _thought _it was the latter. Probably.

Tsuna helped Gokudera out of his yukata, then removed the bandage, cleaned and put more disinfectant on the wound, and bandaged it again.

Once he'd put away his supplies, Tsuna asked, "Do you want me to help you put your yukata back on, Gokudera-kun?"

"Nah," Gokudera said. "It's too hot out. Are you really gonna sleep in yours?"

Tsuna flushed, and looked to Mukuro, hoping the kitsune would protest at Tsuna stripping in front of someone else – only to see Mukuro had already taken his own yukata off. When he saw Tsuna looking to him for help, he tilted his head, bemused expression saying, _I would help but I don't know what you're asking for._

Tsuna should have known better; demons didn't see any reason to be self-conscious or embarrassed about nudity. And it wasn't like Gokudera hadn't already seen Tsuna naked, but that was in the bath, which was different –

…Oh, whatever. It _would _be more comfortable naked.

So Tsuna undressed, then curled up on his futon, and promptly fell asleep.

The next morning, the three of them got up, dressed, and Tsuna changed Gokudera's bandage and put more disinfectant on his wound. As they walked to breakfast, Gokudera was all but bouncing on his feet, Mukuro looked deliberately impassive, and Tsuna had nervous butterflies trying to consume his stomach.

He was pretty sure his mother would agree to having Gokudera along, but what if she didn't? Or what if she saw Tsuna acquiring another guardian as him trying to be more like someone he _really _didn't want to be compared to? Or –

"Oh, Tsu-kun, Mukuro-kun, Gokudera-kun, good morning," Nana greeted them with a bright smile. Bianchi, Chrome, and Fuuta were sitting around her, and Tsuna had one moment to take in that Bianchi looked incredibly satisfied while Chrome seemed almost dubious before his mother went on, "I've got some wonderful news for you!"

Tsuna blinked. "Oh, um, what is it?"

Nana put a hand on Bianchi's shoulder, and said, "Bianchi is going to be traveling with us from now on!"

"_What?_" Gokudera sputtered, looking indignant. He shot his sister a furious look, while her brow furrowed with mildly offended confusion.

"Uh, that's great," Tsuna said quickly to forestall any arguments. He wished he could be more surprised. Oh well, he'd better just get this over with. "Can Gokudera-kun come too? He wants to be my guardian."

Bianchi's eyes flew wide. Nana clapped her hands together, delighted. "That's a wonderful idea! Of course Gokudera-kun can come, too."

"Thanks," Tsuna said, sitting down and hoping Gokudera would follow his lead – which the nekomata did, if grudgingly. Mukuro had ignored the fuss and already sat next to Chrome on the other side of the room, and they were murmuring quietly to one another.

Glancing nervously at the shrine maiden – she seemed agitated all of a sudden? – Tsuna asked tentatively, "Um, why did you decide to come with us, Bianchi?"

"…I've always wanted to travel," she said after a moment, tone cool as she frowned at him. Tsuna's shoulders hunched. Did she not like Gokudera becoming his guardian? "My mother's trained me in the skills needed to tend a shrine, but I've always wanted to learn to be a medicine shaman, too, and when I explained to Nana, she offered to teach me."

"You'll have a fellow apprentice, isn't that great?" Nana said, smile wide and eyes shining. "Your father always said some healthy competition would help you improve even more, and you can split the chores between the two of you, so it's more learning and less work! Won't that be fun? We'll have to wait for Bianchi's mother to return from Iba, since she can't leave the shrine untended, but that should only be a few more days."

"Oh, uh, okay," Tsuna mumbled. He didn't mind staying a few more days – it would give him, Mukuro, and Gokudera all a chance to get to know each other more without the extra stress of being on the road. He didn't really mind Bianchi joining them so abruptly, or that Nana had accepted her without checking with Tsuna first; after all, Tsuna had sort of invited Mukuro, Chrome, Fuuta, and now Gokudera along with just as much forewarning. He didn't even mind sharing his lessons with another apprentice. But…

From the way Gokudera was glaring at Bianchi, and Bianchi was frowning at Tsuna, this dynamic might… be a little bit tough to handle.

Great.

As they all finished eating, Nana spoke up thoughtfully, "Say, Tsu-kun, if you're going to have a blood wedding with Gokudera-kun, why not use the initial magic surge to see if you can break the heat wave and drought? If Mukuro-kun helps too, I'm sure the three of you together can do it, and it would be good practice for learning what a shaman and his guardians can do when they work together."

"Eh? Oh, um." Tsuna hadn't even thought about that. He looked at Gokudera and Mukuro.

"That's a great idea!" Gokudera said, agitation fading as his eyes lit with excitement again. "I'm up for it if you are, boss!"

Mukuro said airily, "Well, the sooner this awful heat passes, the better, I suppose. I don't mind giving it a try."

"Alright, then," Tsuna said, smiling tentatively. It would help Kyofu and the rest of the area a lot if the drought ended soon, and if Gokudera and Mukuro were fine with doing magic together with him, he didn't have to worry about pressuring them. "How would we start?"

"We should go up to the top of Mount Arashi," Gokudera said. "The higher the altitude, the better you'll be able to affect the weather."

"Then the three of you could camp out for a few days, too, if you want," Nana suggested, smiling. "I know you must want some time away from your mother, and to get to know your guardians a little better, Tsu-kun." Without waiting for a reply, Nana stood and went on, "Let's make them some lunches, Bianchi."

"Sure," Bianchi said, darting one last icy look at Tsuna before she followed Nana out of the room.

"You can really make it cool down, Tsuna-nii?" Fuuta asked hopefully.

"We can try, anyway," Tsuna said. "But we'll do our best, Fuuta. So you just rest and save your strength, okay?"

The ice spirit nodded placidly, yawned, then left the room as well, presumably to go back to bed.

"May I come, too, big brother?" Chrome asked.

Tsuna was about to say sure, of course she could, but though Mukuro tucked her hair behind her ear affectionately, he said in a gentle but pointed tone, "I don't think that's a good idea."

"Oh," Chrome said, disappointed. "Because you might be rutting?"

Tsuna wheezed, but one look at Mukuro made it plain that that's exactly what he had in mind.

Which was _not happening. _Tsuna didn't want an audience, and he didn't want to _be _an audience, so Mukuro was just going to have to be disappointed

Mukuro glanced at Tsuna, then said innocently, "Well, I'm sure Tsunayoshi would prefer someone he trusted to remain and protect his mother."

"…Yeah," Tsuna managed to get out when Chrome looked to him expectantly. "That… would be great. Thanks, Chrome. We'll camp out together some other time," he assured her. He was certain he'd welcome a chance to take a break from his guardians from time to time, the way things were looking.

He'd push to have her along now, to have a potential buffer between himself and the bickering, except he _did _want to get to know Gokudera better, and get an idea of what things were going to be like between the three of them. Besides, if just now was any indication, Chrome coming along might result in _more _sex talk, not less.

"Let's go get packed, then," Gokudera said, still clearly excited about the trip. He hadn't even blinked when Chrome had mentioned rutting, but then, he was a demon, too.

An hour later, the boys had packed for three or four days of camping, and Nana and Bianchi had prepared some lunchboxes for them, and filled a few water skins. Tsuna wasn't sure there was enough food for three adolescent boys for three days – until he remembered that two of them were demons who were perfectly capable of hunting their own dinner, and most of the human food was just for Tsuna.

Tsuna also took his medicine box, the lacquer blood wedding ring box, and, at his mother's insistence, one of her books on demon magic, and another on demon culture, so he could study while he was gone. Though Tsuna didn't find it particularly encouraging that Mukuro took one look at them and then gave a derisive snort.

"It's about seven or eight hours to hike to the top on foot for a human, I think," Gokudera said when they finally set out.

"A waste of time," Mukuro scoffed. "I'll just shift us there."

Gokudera gave him a dubious look. "You can do that?"

Mukuro's eyes narrowed at how skeptical the nekomata sounded. "Of course," he retorted. "Shifting of any kind, as well as illusions, are my specialty, after all. I'm much more skilled at it than you."

"And nekomata are really good at destructive magic, right, Gokudera-kun?" Tsuna added, hoping to redirect the conversation away from a potential argument. "I bet you're better at that than Mukuro is."

Mukuro's upper lip curled, but Gokudera looked delighted.

"Yeah, you're right, I bet I'm way better in a fight," Gokudera said, puffing out his chest.

"That's not at all what he said," Mukuro replied coolly.

"So? It's true."

"It is not, and I would be more than happy to prove it to you."

Tsuna sighed. When both demons turned to him – Mukuro with a petulant expression and Gokudera with a sheepish one – Tsuna said, "Look, let's just… go up the mountain and try to fix the weather, okay?"

"Sure thing, boss," Gokudera said, grinning.

Mukuro huffed. "Very well, then."

Mukuro draped an arm around Tsuna's shoulders, grabbed Gokudera's wrist, and shifted.

* * *

End A/Ns: Of course Bianchi's joining the family. I will slowly assemble the entire cast, just you watch. I already have plans and intended roles for most of them.

For instance, that tidbit of info about that Imperial Shaman and her guardians? Very relevant. ;D

Just for clarification – Gokudera didn't like his father siring another child (because in demon culture, when you have a mate, you generally don't have kids with other people); his father and Bianchi's mother having sex didn't bother him (or Lavina) at all.

The natural aptitude for shamanism is an inheritable trait, but there are lots of different types of shamanism. Thus far: medicine shamans, Demon Hunters, and shrine maidens all have shamanistic aptitude, and all fall under the umbrella term of "shaman," though they learn different spells. It's like any other kind of normal apprenticeship where you choose what kind of shaman you want to be; you're not predisposed towards one style or another.

Humans born of or sired by a demon/spirit/land god parent are always shamans, and usually have one or two unique abilities/attributes in addition to being shamans, due to their supernatural heritage. (Yuni's prophetic abilities, for example.) (Yes, Bianchi has one too.)

Shamans can always tell if someone is a demon/spirit/land god even if they look totally human, but normal humans can't. Bianchi knew from the start that Mukuro & Chrome were demons, and Fuuta was a spirit, though not that they were kitsune/an ice spirit specifically. But because she's a shrine maiden, Nana, Tsuna & co. all knew that she knew, and Bianchi knew that they knew that she knew, and just chose not to ask why Nana was calling two demons and a spirit her wards. Primarily because a) Nana's a medicine shaman, and b) the three wards are all minors by this setting's standards, and a medicine shaman taking in magical being orphans is kind of uncommon but not all that surprising. Medicine shamans do that kind of thing sometimes.

Feel free to ask as much as you want about the premise if anything confuses you! I do have pretty much everything about the setting worked out, even if it doesn't get worked into the narrative right away. I will answer questions if they're asked in a review in the End A/Ns of the next chapter, or on tumblr as I get them.

(That said, I reserve the right not to answer EVERY question if I get a lot, or if for whatever reason the answer is a secret.)

Starting off with a two-part review question for last chapter:

_"I__s Hibari going to be the last guardian to be included in the romance or will you add him in earlier? I have a hard time seeing Hibari join a weak newish group so I understand he probably won't be one of the first three to join Tsuna but I was wondering if you were going to put him last?"_

Nice guess! Yep, Hibari's last. I pretty much stated it outright in The Fox Bride, but he's a land god in this setting. Land gods _can _move around and stuff, but they're very protective of their domains, and land gods as young as Hibari can be extra territorial. So he's in Namimori (of course he's the land god of Namimori!), and he ain't gonna budge just because his shaman wants him to, so Tsuna needs to get all the other guardians first (gotta catch 'em all), and thus Hibari will be the last guardian Tsuna gets.

I don't mind revealing the order, actually – it's Mukuro, Gokudera, Yamamoto, Ryohei, Lambo, Hibari. Aside from Hibari, my sole reasoning for this order boils down to "Because this is how I wanted to do it."

The title of Yamamoto's installment will be "Harbor Dog Howl," and Hibari's is "God of Green Hills." (Unless I change my mind.) I'm still trying to work out Ryohei and Lambo's, though. Hm…

_"Also what are you going to do for Lambo? Are you going to use young Lambo, older Lambo, or someone else?"_

I won't be using 5-year-old Lambo, and that's all I have to say about that. ;D (As in it's complicated and I ain't gonna explain it until I get to him.)

My buffer is currently in decent shape, so next chapter in two weeks on **February 24****th****.**


	5. Chapter 5

A/Ns: Magic time~

(Here's hoping I'm able to portray it in a manner that makes sense. /coughs)

* * *

Cat Scratch Fever

Chapter 5

* * *

After a dizzying minute or two, their surroundings solidified.

Tsuna blinked, and then clutched at Mukuro with all his strength. They were standing at the edge of a sheer drop, on a narrow path barely wide enough to stand on, and a steep one at that.

"Watch where you're landing," Gokudera growled from Mukuro's other side, glaring.

"I knew precisely where we were landing," Mukuro replied primly. "I would not have stopped somewhere we couldn't stand. I think I felt a cave a few more feet up the path," he added, nudging Tsuna gently, since he was in the lead.

Tsuna swallowed dryly, and managed a stiff nod. Keeping one hand tight on Mukuro's arm, and his back pressed against the cliff face behind him, he inched his way up the path until it widened and, as Mukuro had said, led into a cave.

Once he was inside, Tsuna pressed himself against a wall and collapsed on his hands and knees, shuddering.

Mukuro knelt down next to him, rubbing his back soothingly. "I'm sorry, darling," he said quietly. "Are you afraid of heights?"

Tsuna flushed. "They make me nervous," he muttered. "But it's only scary when I feel like I'm going to fall."

"I wouldn't have let you fall. But even if you had, I would have caught you," Mukuro said, one half-tangible fox tail briefly caressing Tsuna's torso.

Tsuna flashed him a weak smile. "Thanks."

He let Mukuro help him back to his feet, and then joined Gokudera in setting down their packs and making a rudimentary campsite. The nekomata had been watching Tsuna with concern, but relaxed when Tsuna crouched down next to him without any shakiness.

"Is this where you live?" Tsuna asked Gokudera as they worked. The cave would be a little tight for two adult nekomata and one adolescent, but it was swept clean of dirt and debris and there were signs of deliberate alterations, so it was at least used frequently.

"Yeah," Gokudera replied. "There are a couple smaller caves on Mount Arashi that we use, too, but this is the main den. It opens onto relatively flat ground a little further back," he went on, pointing deeper into the cave, "and there are more hot springs there, and then it goes back underground, with a proper tunnel system. The old man travels around the territory a lot, but Mom and I mostly stayed here."

"I think all three of us have that in common," Tsuna said thoughtfully. "Being raised by our mothers, I mean, and not getting to know other people very well. I mean, I interacted with people more than you guys did, but… never really anyone my age, and we never stayed in any one place for more than a few weeks, so whenever I did get the chance to talk to others, it was mostly just about, you know, shaman stuff. So I'm… really glad to have finally made some friends," he finished, darting a shy, uncertain look at Gokudera, wondering if the nekomata would object to that label.

Gokudera certainly looked startled, before his expression shifted into a confused but almost giddy smile, as if he wasn't quite sure how to respond to being called a friend.

"Yeah," he said at last, grinning. "Me too, boss."

Mukuro walked over to join them, kneeling down next to Tsuna to nuzzle his temple affectionately. Then the kitsune gave Gokudera a pointed, expectant look. Almost like… a teacher waiting for his student to catch on?

Tsuna blinked, and then his eyes widened a little as Gokudera tentatively mimicked Mukuro by nuzzling Tsuna, too.

Tsuna flushed, not entirely sure how to respond to such an overt display of affection from someone other than Mukuro, but… it felt nice. And if Mukuro was encouraging Gokudera to do that in this context, that meant it was probably something demons considered a gesture between friends, and not something more intimate as Tsuna might have otherwise interpreted.

"Uh, so, are you guys ready to get started?" Tsuna asked in a rush, not wanting the silence to stretch and become uncomfortable because he wasn't sure how to react to the nuzzling. "With the weather magic, I mean. And… the blood wedding."

"I'm ready whenever you are, boss!" Gokudera said eagerly, shifting so that he was sitting directly opposite Tsuna.

"I suppose I am, too," Mukuro said, taking a position perpendicular to them both, so that they were sitting in a small circle. "If we are to all work together most effectively, I believe you should begin with the blood wedding."

"Right," Tsuna agreed, glad that Mukuro was willing to give directions, since Gokudera seemed unlikely to unless prompted, and Tsuna wasn't really comfortable taking the lead by himself.

He pulled out the lacquer ring box, opened it, and selected the red ring.

"Out of curiousity, why that one?" Mukuro asked, tilting his head to the side. "And now that I think of it, how did you choose mine? I didn't think humans were aware of affinities, let alone knowledgeable of how we identify them."

"Eh?" Tsuna's brow furrowed, perplexed. "Affinities? What do you mean?"

Mukuro and Gokudera glanced at each other.

"I brought it up, so I suppose we should explain," Mukuro sighed at last.

"It's how we label the different types of magical specialties," Gokudera told Tsuna, shrugging. "Each species has a typical affinity, but not every individual necessarily has it, and there's some overlap between species of what kinds of magic count as which affinity anyway. So instead of calling destructive spells nekomata magic, we say it's the Storm affinity, and that nekomata usually have that affinity. And they're color-coded, because of how the magic looks when we're using it; the Storm affinity is red. Illusions and spatial shifting fall under the Mist affinity, which is color-coded indigo. Like most nekomata I have the Storm affinity, and like most kitsune, the fox has the Mist affinity. So the rings you picked for us match our affinities."

"I've never heard of that," Tsuna said uncertainly, embarrassed by his own ignorance.

"Of course not," Mukuro replied primly. "It's considered a taboo to explain affinities to humans, since there are other attributes associated with them that would give humans too much knowledge about us, and would rob some of our brethren whose affinity gives them different magical specialties than what is generally associated with their species of a very distinct strategic advantage."

"Other attributes…?"

"Uh, like fighting style and stuff," Gokudera hedged.

Tsuna would have pressed for more information, since that was really interesting, but then he noticed that both Mukuro and Gokudera seemed kind of uncomfortable. They were breaking a taboo for his sake, Tsuna realized. Pushing them for more would be really, really rude and inconsiderate.

So instead, Tsuna said, "I… didn't have any reason in mind. It just… felt right."

"Matching the ring and guardian's affinity is important, since the bond is a lot weaker if you don't," Gokudera said, relaxing again. "If you hadn't grabbed the red one, I would have said something. But your instincts are really amazing, boss!" he finished with shining eyes.

Gokudera looked at Tsuna like that a lot. It was… a lot different from what Tsuna was used to.

"Um, thanks?" he replied, a little flustered.

Tsuna meant to just offer the ring to Gokudera, but instead found himself taking the nekomata's hand and slipping the ring onto Gokudera's finger. The look in Gokudera's eyes intensified, and he practically vibrated with eager excitement.

Tsuna took a deep breath, then used a knife to make a small cut on his finger. He put the knife down, and then shifted that hand to hold one of Mukuro's. The kitsune gripped it tightly as Tsuna held the cut over Gokudera's ring, letting blood drip onto the red stone as he stumbled through the blood wedding spell.

Tsuna honestly didn't remember his blood wedding to Mukuro very well – he'd felt the swelling magic, and had immediately and instinctively diverted all of it to Mukuro, to heal what would have otherwise been a fatal wound. He'd whited out at some point, and only came to hours later, to his mother shaking him and pleading with him to wake up, wake up, while Fuuta looked on anxiously. Tsuna's magic had been completely tapped out, and his muscles had ached with how tightly he'd been clinging on to Mukuro. But the injury had vanished with no sign that it had ever existed – a feat Tsuna would have thought impossible, given how devastating and extensive it had been.

So he wasn't entirely sure what to expect from his blood wedding to Gokudera.

The cave filled with dazzling golden-orange and red light from the rings, and Tsuna felt Gokudera's magic connect to his, felt both magics surge like a punch to the gut. He wheezed.

Energy pulsed through him. Desperation and anxiety scraped at his lungs, and he wasn't sure _why _until Gokudera's arms folded around his neck, and the nekomata rubbed his cheek against Tsuna's, and the physical contact instantly made everything better, was everything he needed.

Making sure not to let go of Mukuro's hand, Tsuna coiled his free arm around Gokudera, fingers digging into his back.

"Boss," Gokudera whispered, pressing closer. "Boss, boss."

"Gokudera-kun," Tsuna sighed blissfully, and then froze with the sudden unpleasant realization of which way that massive amount of magical energy was going to be channeled if _that_ sort of tone caught on. Intentions and desires were really important to effectively using your magic, after all, and could impact what your magic did without you even being aware of it if you weren't careful. And while Tsuna didn't know any spells like this himself, he was pretty sure that magic could be used for… sex stuff.

Tsuna cleared his throat and craned his head so that he could see Mukuro. The kitsune had been staring fixedly at Tsuna's hand in his, but at the sound, he glanced up, and met Tsuna's eyes.

"How do you guys work weather magic?" Tsuna asked.

Mukuro tilted his head to the side, frowning thoughtfully. "Hm… it's difficult to describe. Demon magic doesn't require incantation the way most human magic does. I believe we both use mental imaging, though? By any chance, Tsunayoshi, are you able to envision our magics?"

Envision… picture Mukuro and Gokudera's magic? Tsuna's brow furrowed, but he closed his eyes, and did the mental imaging exercises his mother had taught him to examine the state of his own magic. Mukuro and Gokudera's magics were connected to him now, so maybe…

He conjured an image of a dark space lit by a golden-orange fire – usually just something like a small campfire, but at the moment, it materialized as a raging inferno. How each shaman pictured their magic differed, but since Tsuna didn't have a strong sense yet of what he wanted his space to look like, he just used the basic fire scenario every beginner started with. Shifting his perspective, he could make out an indigo bonfire that seemed not fully tangible, wisps breaking free here and there to tint what was otherwise pitch black darkness, and a hissing red blaze that was currently in a similar state as Tsuna's own.

Uncertainly, Tsuna reached out a mental hand to each of those foreign flames. His stomach roiled as he realized he could tap them as easily as his own, so he concentrated hard to just touch, and do nothing more.

Gokudera's magic pressed against him like a feline demanding attention, while Mukuro's stilled at his touch, then sent a tendril coiling around his arm.

"Alright," Mukuro said, sounding far away, "can you see this, Tsunayoshi?"

Something like a map spread out between Mukuro's magic and Tsuna's. Tsuna couldn't make out details, but he had a rough sense of the terrain, and he somehow knew that it was of Mount Arashi and some of the land directly surrounding it.

The map was saturated with magic, brilliant yellow baking the land with undertones of red trapped within it. The Demon Hunter's guardian's magic taking advantage of Gokudera's heat wave, and assimilating it into their own spell, so that Gokudera couldn't undo it.

"I can see it," Tsuna said. "Can you, Gokudera-kun?" Even as he asked, he instinctively burrowed a mental hand in eager red flames and guided them closer to the map Mukuro had created. He tried to prompt Mukuro's magic to coil far enough around him to touch Gokudera's without actively forcing it to do so, and was relieved when Mukuro obligingly followed his lead, indigo tendrils snaking around Tsuna until they were able to brush against the howling red blaze.

"Kinda… oh! Yeah, I see it, boss."

"Okay, great." Tsuna felt sweat beading on his forehead from the amount of concentration necessary to maintain the mental image. "Um, I'm not… great at using magic myself yet, and… just connecting you two like this is hard enough to keep up. Do you think you guys can take it from here?"

"Of course," Mukuro scoffed. "I imagine I have more finesse than you, Gokudera Hayato, even if you are currently wielding more power due to the blood wedding. May I lead? I have an idea."

"Sure," Gokudera agreed, easier than Tsuna would have thought he'd be, but then he went on awkwardly, "I, uh, tried to break the drought myself at first when I realized I couldn't pull back the heat wave, and, uh. Made it worse."

"Mm, why am I not surprised?" Mukuro snorted. "You can't _break _someone else's drought; the magic is too entrenched. Especially since the caster is Sun affinity – that's what the yellow means, Tsunayoshi – one of their specialties is weather magic, so an immature Storm or even Mist affinity individually wouldn't be able to disrupt this kind of spell from a mature demon or spirit of the Sun affinity. Working together with the blood wedding boost at our disposal, we could probably use force to dismantle it, but it will be more efficient to pick it apart. Like so…"

As Tsuna watched the mental map, indigo threads branched out from what was probably their current location, creating fine lines in red-tinted yellow. Mukuro's magic gingerly poked and prodded at their surroundings, sometimes pressing forward, sometimes circling around. Tsuna didn't have the skill or knowledge necessary to be able to tell precisely what Mukuro was doing, but after a few tense minutes he saw the effect – most of the yellow magic was being corralled into several smaller indigo-veined pens, and as those pens were nudged aside, they revealed a thick braided rope of yellow that stretched off into the distance, which Mukuro apparently couldn't hedge off. Tsuna couldn't see where it ended, but it felt like it was pretty long.

"Alright," Mukuro said, sounding smug. "That rope is the feeder magic the caster is using to fuel the drought. With your current stores of magic, snapping that should be cub's play for you, Gokudera Hayato. Give your magic a blade-shape, that works best."

Gokudera didn't need to be told twice. Red roared down like an avalanche, scything through the braided magic as if it were nothing.

The rope dissolved after being broken, and what had been thin veins of indigo engorged, separating the yellow drought magic into individual tiny puffs that indigo and red together swept away with contemptuous ease.

"There," Mukuro said. "That should do it. – Tsunayoshi, are you alright?"

"Huh?" Tsuna garbled, sluggishly dispelling the mental images so that he could open his eyes again. Or try to, anyway. His eyelids felt heavy and gummy, and he couldn't pry them apart. That was okay, though. Given how dizzy he felt with his eyes closed, he was worried that opening them might make it worse. "I… think so… I've just… never concentrated on watching magic like that before…"

"What?" Gokudera sounded startled, worry and awe twining together in his voice. "Boss, you should have said something! You're supposed to practice watching small spells before you sit in on someone changing a whole region's weather. You need to, like… stretch yourself, or you'll strain yourself, was how Mom phrased it."

"What magic have you done thus far, Tsunayoshi?" Mukuro asked, rubbing Tsuna's back. "Have you ever used mental imaging to watch someone spellcasting like that before?"

"Uh…" It was so hard to think, between a throbbing headache and the very distracting amount of magic still swelling through him. "Mom started me with… some stuff to make our job easier. Boosting the strength of medicines, and… how to make an appeasement offering, or do a linking spell… I sort of know some basic incantations to dampen or break curses… Up until Nemachi I was still mostly just doing, you know, physical healing, since, um…" Tsuna felt his face flush with embarrassment. "I'm… not good at magic, so… Mom didn't want me using it for real on the job yet. To be honest, most of my magic lessons are still just… basic mental imaging of my own magic… I've never watched someone else do a spell that way before."

Tsuna squeaked as two pairs of arms reached for him and pulled him close.

"Silly human boy," Mukuro huffed, nuzzling at Tsuna's temple. "Trying to run before you've mastered walking."

"You're the best, boss," Gokudera said, and Tsuna could feel his grin as he rubbed his cheek against Tsuna's. Tsuna twitched with surprise when he thought he felt a light vibration, heard something – was Gokudera _purring? _

"You guys did all the work," Tsuna protested weakly. "I was only watching…"

"That sort of watching generally isn't recommended for beginners," Mukuro said, tone dry. "Not until you can create your own mental map of an area, and know how to identify the magic already at work there. Which would be considered part of… advanced image training, I believe."

"That's how Mom taught," Gokudera agreed, shifting. Tsuna got the feeling that, while happy to be hugging Tsuna, Gokudera didn't like being crushed together like this, especially not with Mukuro in the embrace, too. But apparently holding on to Tsuna was more important. "Mental imaging of my own magic, then map and terrain imaging, then watching her do small spells, _then _watching big magic, and then actually doing my own magic with her watching, before I could work by myself. And getting that far took years."

"Humans have shorter lifespans, so they're designed to improve magically at faster rates," Mukuro said primly. "Even so, and even with the power of a blood wedding backing you, I'm not surprised that you're disoriented, Tsunayoshi. Are you able to open your eyes yet?"

Tsuna tried again, and only managed to get his eyes open a crack before a vicious stinging sensation forced them closed again. "No…" He flinched and then squirmed with discomfort as he felt his magic and Gokudera's howl to be used. "There's a lot of energy left over from the blood wedding, too."

After a beat of silence, Mukuro said, "Physical exertion taps magical energy too. Not that I'm trying to say anything," he added innocently. "I just thought I might point that out."

"Why?" Gokudera asked in exasperation before Tsuna could say anything. "If he can't open his eyes, he could hardly go out and get some exercise, or spar. And look, there's a storm rolling in now that the drought's broken, so we should stay inside anyway."

Tsuna was surprised that a demon could miss what Mukuro had obviously been implying, but after a long moment of increasingly tense silence during which Tsuna was certain they were glaring at each other, Gokudera went on sharply,

"Unless you were trying to pressure him into rutting. Which I hope you weren't, because then I'd have to kick your ass."

Tsuna felt Mukuro bristle.

"I don't know how you manage to spew such vast amounts of offensive ignorance in so few words," Mukuro said coolly. "I am not sure which I find more insulting – that you think I would pressure him into sex if he didn't want to, or that you think you're capable of, to use your vulgar language, _kicking my ass._"

"You foxes have different definitions of _pressure _than the rest of us," Gokudera retorted. "Boss might feel like you're pressuring him even if that's not what you think you're doing. And I could totally kick your ass."

Mukuro hissed. "I'd like to see you try – "

"Please don't fight," Tsuna whined before the conversation could escalate further. Both demons reluctantly subsided, and went back to nuzzling him. Which, with all the talk of rutting and the burning magic desperate to find an outlet, had a sudden and alarming effect on Tsuna's body. And even ignoring their senses of smell, pressed closely together like this, there was no way that Mukuro and Gokudera wouldn't notice. Tsuna felt his entire body blush.

"Why are you embarrassed all of a sudden?" Gokudera asked, sounding confused.

"Because he's getting aroused, probably," Mukuro said, stroking Tsuna's back and hair. "It's a human thing, I think. Like how some of them find discussions of sex embarrassing, too, and don't like sharing the knowledge of who they rut with or when."

"Seriously?" Gokudera seemed dubious. That was when Tsuna started wishing he could go bury himself underground and not talk to anyone for a few years, and his scent must have reflected that, because Gokudera said with the clear intent to reassure, "You don't have to be embarrassed with us, boss. We're your guardians, and we're demons. Getting aroused is a compliment. Besides, we are, too."

"And honestly, if you weren't responding at least a little right now, given the circumstances, I'd be a bit insulted," Mukuro said matter-of-factly.

Great. Perfect.

"I, um… d-don't… want to…"

"That's fine," Gokudera assured him. "No one expects to rut _every _time they get aroused."

"Do you think you could get some rest?" Mukuro asked. "I know it can be difficult with so much excess energy, but sleep is the best way to recover from your mental strain."

Sleep. Sleep sounded good. If he could just ignore that too-bright magic. Tsuna was starting to feel a little fuzzy-minded, anyway.

"Yeah… I want to sleep…" Tsuna mumbled.

"Then sleep," Mukuro murmured. "We'll take care of you, darling."

"'Kay…"

Tsuna's mind started to retreat, and though dimly aware of being shifted around and of the sounds of movement in the cave, he was able to lose himself in sleep.

His dreams were restless and anxious, and overshadowed by the feeling that something hostile and angry was charging towards him. He finally woke with a gasp, sweaty and slightly nauseous. Tsuna blinked bleary, itchy eyes, then rubbed at them, until they cleared and he could finally see.

Mukuro and Gokudera were both in their demon forms. Tsuna was lying back against Gokudera's belly, the nekomata stretched out and half-rolled over, front paws tucked up against his chest, making soft noises that might have been snoring. Mukuro was curled up tightly, close enough that Tsuna's feet and shins were tucked into his fur. His tails curled around Gokudera's haunches and rump, thus encircling Tsuna as well. His head rested just in front of Gokudera's, too. Tsuna was effectively boxed in between them.

Tsuna sat up, and shivered. He'd been warm and comfortable pressed against demon fur, but the air in the cave was too chilly for midsummer, and damp, and he thought he heard wind howling.

He craned his head up, trying to look over Mukuro, who was between him and the cave entrance. He could just barely see a little bit of outside, but all he could make out was thick gray fog, being pushed along by gale force winds. And beneath the moaning gusts, Tsuna thought he heard the sound of heavy rain.

So not only had they been able to end the drought and heat wave, but Mukuro and Gokudera's magic had had its own impact on the weather. Tentatively expanding his senses, Tsuna didn't think that the storm was stuck in place by the magic – it had been sparked by it, sure, but it would pass through naturally after it brought some much-needed water to the area. That was good.

He looked back at his guardians, both sound asleep. He didn't want to wake them, but he was too wired to go back to sleep again – now that the strain from watching the spell was gone, Tsuna was all too aware of the pulsing excess magic surging through him. It wasn't quite as bad as it had been, so at least a few hours had passed, but… it was still there.

Looking around, Tsuna saw their packs shoved against the wall, too far for him to reach. He supposed he could pass some time by reading while he waited for the demons to get up, but he had the feeling that standing to go get one of the books his mother had forced him to bring would wake them up anyway. Besides, reading was probably just going to strain his eyes again – he wasn't very good at it, and he hadn't quite mastered reading silently, either. He still needed to sound out a lot of words to figure out what they said.

A particularly strong gust of wind blasted into the cave, and Tsuna shrank back into the nest of demon fur, shivering.

"Tsunayoshi?" Mukuro mumbled sleepily, red eye opening a crack. "Do you want a blanket?"

"No thanks," Tsuna replied, trying to keep his voice down. "I'm warm enough, and I'm awake, anyway. I don't think I can get back to sleep."

Mukuro lifted his head and yawned, then stretched his neck so that he could nuzzle Tsuna. Tsuna smiled and ducked his forehead against Mukuro's muzzle, burrowing his hands in the soft black fur of the fox's jaw. Mukuro rumbled contentedly.

Then Gokudera lifted his head, giving a great yawn of his own, which showed off the pronounced canines that were as long as Tsuna's forearm, before peering over at them. When he saw what Mukuro was doing, he curled his body in so that he could nudge his head under Tsuna's arm, a wordless demand to share in the attention. Tsuna giggled, but obligingly used that hand to caress Gokudera's head and neck. When he saw that the injury on Gokudera's back had healed without a trace because of the blood wedding, he reached to scratch between his shoulder blades, which he was pretty sure cats liked. Gokudera began to purr.

Just as Tsuna began to relax and his smile began to widen, his stomach growled. He flushed.

"Are you hungry?" Mukuro asked.

"Yeah," Tsuna admitted.

"I am too," Gokudera said. Then, reluctantly, he went on, "I should probably try and go hunting. We only brought enough human food for boss."

Tsuna hadn't realized how much he still needed contact with Gokudera in the wake of the blood wedding until his words caused a spike of sharp anxiety.

Mukuro surveyed Tsuna contemplatively, then said, "I'll go hunting. You stay with Tsunayoshi."

Gokudera's ears perked up. "Really? Thanks, fox."

Mukuro snorted, then got to his feet, stretching. He nuzzled Tsuna again affectionately, then turned to trot out of the cave.

"Be careful in this weather," Tsuna called after him. Mukuro flicked his tails in acknowledgement before he turned out onto the path and vanished from sight.

* * *

End A/Ns: Bleurgh this feels like a really awkward place to stop and at first I just kept writing the scene but then I realized the continuation of the scene is ridiculously long, and needs to be a chapter all by itself, so here you go awkward cut-off whoop whoop.

Can you tell I really like getting Tsuna to cuddle with giant furry animals? 8D;;

I really hope my magic mechanics came through clearly and/or made sense. You'll get more info as the story progresses, obviously, and I'm still working out some of this as I go along, but feel free to ask about magic mechanics. :3;;

If you're wondering why Nana was cool with telling Tsuna to work with the demons to do weather magic, it's because she expected things to turn out more or less the way they did – with the demons doing all the work, and Tsuna just kind of watching. She was hoping that the practice, if a little harsh, would help Tsuna improve, since he's never been that good at magic.

Review questions!

"_What happens after all the guardians are gathered?"_

Plotty goodness. ;) (I have at least one or two installment plots in mind for after the final guardian installment.)

I haven't had much time to write recently, so to try and build up my buffer again, next chapter is in three weeks on **March 17****th****.**


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